US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (French)

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that his country intends to launch more strikes in the Middle East, in response to the killing of 3 American soldiers in an attack on a base in Jordan carried out by factions that Washington says are loyal to Tehran.

In statements to NBC, Sullivan said, "We intend to launch more strikes and take additional measures to continue sending a clear message that the United States will respond when our forces are attacked and when our people are killed."

On Friday, the United States began a wave of "retaliatory strikes on more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria."

Sullivan said, "What happened on Friday was the beginning of our response, not the end, and there will be further steps, some visible and some perhaps invisible. I will not describe it as an open military campaign."

He added that US President Joe Biden "ordered a response to the attacks to which we are being subjected, firmly and seriously, and this is what is happening."

In response to a question if he had an idea about the number of casualties among the militias, Sullivan said, “We are currently assessing their number, and we will inform the president of the results of this assessment soon.”

For his part, Strategic Communications Coordinator at the US National Security Council, John Kirby, said that the Iraqi government must "take action and help us confront the threat posed by the militias."

He added, "The attacks launched by the militias and their failure to hold them accountable constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty more than our operations."

Iraqi refusal

The Iraqi government had previously said that the American attacks "led to the death of 16 people, including civilians, in addition to 25 wounded, and also caused losses and damage to residential buildings and citizens' property."

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said that his country is not the place designated for sending messages and showing strength between opponents.

He added that the government is responsible for protecting diplomatic missions, and that harming them is an attack on Iraq's sovereignty.

He also called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and abandoning military options to avoid escalation in the region.

In addition to its attacks in Syria and Iraq, the United States and Britain bombed 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday.

The Pentagon said that Saturday's strikes targeted 13 sites in Yemen that the Houthis use to attack shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthi group confirms its continued targeting of ships heading to Israel, in response to its continued aggression against civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies