Attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria drop

Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria have not attacked American forces in the two countries since February 4, the Pentagon said.

It marks a major drop in violence after US personnel faced near-daily attacks in recent months.

The US carried out two high-profile strikes against Iranian proxy groups in retaliation for a drone attack that killed three American soldiers at a base in Jordan on January 28.

The US first retaliated on February 2, hitting Iranbacked sites in Iraq and Syria. On February 7, US forces killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander in Iraq.

The Pentagon has not ruled out more strikes, even though Kataib Hezbollah said it would stand down.

The US blamed a wider coalition of Iranian groups, including Kataib Hezbollah, for the Jordan attack.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said she did not want to theorise about whether recent US actions were deterring the groups from launching attacks.

“All I can tell you is that we welcome that we have not seen attacks since February 4,” she said.

Iranian-backed militias increased attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria shortly after the start of the Gaza war, with the Pentagon reporting more than 165 attacks since mid-October.

Dozens of troops suffered injuries over that time, but the attack in Jordan on January 28 was the first time US personnel were killed.

While Iran-backed militias have reduced their activities in Iraq and Syria, the same cannot be said for the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The group is continuing to carry out attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea despite three US and UK bombing operations in Yemen and a string of US strikes against missile sites.

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from hospital on Tuesday and was expected to return to the Pentagon “later this week”, the Defence Department said.