"US Launches Retaliatory Airstrikes on Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq"

The US conducted airstrikes in Iraq targeting facilities used by Iranian-backed militias in response to repeated attacks on US forces, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stating that the strikes are a direct response to escalatory attacks. The strikes come after US personnel at Al-Asad Air Base were injured in a ballistic missile and rocket attack, and tensions have been heightened by ongoing attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria. The US has also been managing regular attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, and the strikes on Tuesday followed previous strikes on the Houthis by the US and UK.