Pentagon Concerned About Militia Attacks in Iraq and Syria

On Tuesday, U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson John Kirby accused "Iran-backed militias" of carrying out "many of the attacks" on American forces in Iraq and Syria, adding that Iran should "stop the support it provides to these militias." Kirby stated that the Pentagon is "concerned" about the seriousness of these attacks, which could be lethal, and emphasized that the Department of Defense "takes these attacks seriously." The U.S. defense spokesperson reiterated "his country's right to defend itself," noting that it is up to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. President Joe Biden, "to determine when and how to exercise this right." Recently, the frequency of attacks targeting the U.S.-led international coalition forces or the areas they are stationed in Iraq and Syria has increased, with the most recent being an attack on coalition forces in eastern Syria a few days ago. The most severe attack on U.S. interests occurred last week when 14 rockets targeted the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq's Anbar province, resulting in injuries to two American soldiers.