الكاتب: kafej

A dangerous new phase in the Middle East conflict has begun with a major US military action targeting multiple locations in Syria and Iraq.

Seeking to both to punish and deter Iran and its Iraq-based proxies after an Iranian-backed militia killed three US service personnel in Jordan, manned and unmanned aircraft hit multiple locations with 125 specialised munitions, according US military’s central command.

This was a calculated response, not a knee-jerk reaction, coming six days after militant group Kata’ib Hezbollah’s drone strike on the US Tower 22 facility in Jordan.

The Americans took the time to choose its targets – and it had the time to consider the message it was sending with each of these strikes.

Middle East latest: US begins wave of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria

Foremost amongst these messages was a demonstration of American military strength.

Official and unofficial sources in Syria are reporting that facilities in the cities of Al-Mayadeen and Al-Bokamal in the eastern governate of Deir Er Zor have been hit.

Iraqi military sources have confirmed that the border city of Al-Qaim in Iraq’s Al Anbar province – along with other border areas – have been subjected to air strikes.

Explainer: What we know about the sites targeted in US strikes

US security sources say they hit seven individual facilities – four in Syria and three in Iraq.

Multiple casualties have been reported by Syrian state media while the UK-based monitor Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said 13 members of Iran-backed groups had been killed.

This action was widely expected, but by delaying their response, the Americans fed a collective feeling of anxiety in Iraq, with many wondering – and worrying about what the US would do.

Iraqis have gone to social media to report sightings of “intelligence-gathering” drones up in the sky. People have been choosing to stay at home and avoid public spaces for fear of an attack.

Yet this six-day wait has allowed senior militia members the opportunity to hide – or escape – and there have been multiple reports of well-known militants fleeing to neighbouring Iran.

The targets and the timing of this opening salvo was designed to meet – and balance – a complicated set of objectives.

Analysis: Sky News experts on why Biden ordered bombing raid

President Biden seeks to deter Iran without going to war with Iran.

The American leader needs to satisfy his hawkish critics in Washington – without inflaming public opinion in the Middle East.

He wants to prevent the loss of life of US service personnel without causing major loss of life in the region.

A direct confrontation with Iran would take the crisis in the Middle East in an entirely different and more precarious direction and it is highly significant that the US does not appear to have hit locations in Iran.

Yet this new American action in Syria and Iraq, which signals the beginning of a new US military campaign, may well have unintended – and far-reaching consequences.

Thousands of sheep and cattle are stuck on board a ship after it abandoned its journey from Australia to Israel due to attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.

The MV Bahijah docked in Western Australia on Thursday after it was ordered home by the country’s government.

There are around 14,000 live sheep and 2,000 cattle on board worth about AUS$2m (£1.03m) – and officials are yet to decide whether to let them disembark or send them back to sea.

The livestock have been on the ship since 5 January, which is now under the sweltering Australian summer heat.

The country’s government said the animals were in good health and added that the vessel was “being replenished with supplies to ensure the ongoing health and welfare of the livestock is upheld”.

Two vets on board have reported no sign of significant welfare concerns, Australia’s agriculture ministry said.

However, critics have expressed fears about the treatment of the animals on board amid soaring local temperatures.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, deputy leader of the Australian Greens party, said: “Leaving sheep and cattle on the MV Bahijah in the scorching summer heat is animal torture.

“The government already made one gross error by approving his trip through a conflict zone. Sending them back out on another long journey is absolutely unacceptable.”

Officials are currently considering an application by Israeli exporter Bassem Dabbah Ltd to unload some of the animals and ship the rest around Africa to Israel – a journey that would take 33 days.

Any sheep or cattle taken off the vessel would need to be placed in quarantine due to Australia’s strict biosecurity rules.

Sky News has approached the agriculture department for comment.

Read more:
How UK military tactics against Houthis have parallels with WWII
Analysis: Iran-backed Houthis are no longer a rag-tag army

What is the situation in the Red Sea?

Iran-backed Houthi fighters have been causing turmoil in the Red Sea, one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, in recent months by attacking shipping in response to the war in Gaza.

The Yemen-based group say the action is aimed at ending Israel‘s offensive, which has followed the 7 October attacks by Hamas.

Houthi fighters say they are targeting ships with links to Israel, however, the vessels have often had very tenuous links or no ties at all to the country.

The group has attacked many ships with drones, rockets and, in some cases, helicopters to drop its fighters onto commercial vessels.

It has prompted several companies to divert their ships away from the Red Sea – which is the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal.

Sailing around Africa instead means deliveries take longer, leading to higher fuel and other costs, as well as more carbon emissions. It also means each ship can carry less freight over a given period.

However, so far, the impact on prices, the movement of goods and the broader global economy has been less dramatic than when freight ship the Ever Given became wedged in the Suez Canal, blocking traffic through the waterway in March 2021.