US approves counterattacks on Iranian targets in Iraq and Syria following drone strike

These strategies serve as a reaction to the drone and missile attacks aimed at US forces in the region, including Sunday's drone assault. In that incident, three US service members died at the Tower 22 base in Jordan, close to the Syrian border. These plans cater for "multiple day attacks" on targets in Iraq and Syria, comprising "Iranian personnel and targets".

Since the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia announced a hiatus in its military operations against US forces on Wednesday, no fresh attacks on US forces in the region have been reported.

Earlier, several Iran-backed groups in the Middle East escalated attacks on institutions linked to the US and Israel due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas since October.

Yemeni rebels, backed by Iran, namely the Houthi, have consistently launched attacks on ships in the waters surrounding Yemen, primarily in the Red Sea, since November. They claim these actions are aligned with supporting Hamas' battle against Israel in the Gaza Strip. However, it was often found that they were shelling entities not affiliated with Israel.

In retaliation against these attacks, which pose a risk to sea transport, the US military has been executing airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since January 12.