U.S. approves strikes against Iranian targets in Iraq, Syria: Report

U.S. has blamed a drone attack in northeastern Jordan that killed three U.S. service members on Iran-backed militants

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett and Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, who were killed in a drone attack on an outpost in northeast Jordan, are seen in a combination of undated photographs released by the U.S. Army Reserve Command. Photo: U.S. Army Reserve Command via Reuters

The United States has approved plans for multi-day strikes in Iraq and Syria against multiple targets, including Iranian personnel and facilities, CBS News reported on February 1, citing U.S. officials.

President Joe Biden said on January 31 he had made up his mind on how to respond to a drone attack in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border this week that killed three U.S. service members and wounded more than 40. The U.S. blamed the drone attack on Iran-backed militants.

Mr. Biden's top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said on January 30 the U.S. response "could be multi-leveled, come in stages, and be sustained over time."

In its report, CBS did not provide details on what a U.S. approval meant in terms of a timeline for the strikes.

The drone attack was the first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Gaza war erupted in October, and marked an escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East.

U.S. officials have weight how to punish Iran-backed militias without triggering a wider war.