The US launched airstrikes on facilities on the Iraq-Syria border.

The aftermath of the US airstrike in Syria in February. Photo: AFP

"Following President Joe Biden's directive, the U.S. military conducted airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed militant groups in the Iraq-Syria border region. These forces carried out drone strikes targeting U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq," the U.S. Department of Defense stated.

Specifically, the U.S. attacked weapons facilities and depots at two locations in Syria and one in Iraq. The Pentagon said that Iranian-backed militant groups, including the Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada militias, had used these sites.

“President Biden has made it clear that he will act to protect American personnel. In response to the ongoing series of attacks by Iranian-backed militant groups targeting U.S. facilities in Iraq, the President has ordered further military action to deter and counter these attacks… The United States has taken necessary, appropriate, and considered actions to limit the risk of escalation, while also sending a clear and unambiguous signal to deter,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Additionally, the Pentagon stated that the U.S. acted appropriately in its "right to self-defense" to eliminate the threats. The agency asserted that the attacks were "limited to appropriate scope."