In recent hours, amid rising tensions in the region due to US airstrikes on sites of Iran-affiliated armed factions in Iraq and Syria, social media has been filled with news of a response from these factions. A statement from what is known as the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq," which includes several Iraqi armed factions, has spread rapidly, claiming responsibility for a drone attack on the Tanf base in Syria. This statement was shared by various accounts on Telegram, indicating that it was a response to the US strikes early in the morning.
However, a closer inspection of the circulated statement reveals that it is old. While the date mentioned was Saturday, the appended Hijri date indicates it was issued last December.
This comes after US bombers targeted over 85 sites in western Iraq, particularly the border city of Al-Qaim and Al-Okashat, as well as Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria, where Iranian-affiliated militias and Quds Force sites are concentrated, in response to an attack in Jordan the previous week.
US Central Command leader Michael Kurilla stated that the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its affiliated factions represent a direct threat to the stability of Iraq, the region, and the safety of Americans. He also confirmed that "strikes will continue to hold these militias accountable," which Washington has previously accused of being involved in the attack on Tower 22 on the Jordanian border, which resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers and injuries to over 40.
The US administration has repeatedly affirmed in recent days that the attack in Jordan would not go unanswered, noting that the response would take place on multiple levels, without providing further details.
