WASHINGTON (CNN) US President Biden on Wednesday ordered airstrikes against Iran-backed militias on the Iraqi-Syrian border, just before Iraq launched a new Iranian-made unmanned drone. aircraft) continued to attack U.S. military facilities. U.S. officials say the drones could evade U.S. surveillance and defenses.
Most recently, earlier this month, an armed drone blew up at a dining facility at the entry point to Baghdad airport, according to US military officials. This entry point was used by US soldiers and diplomats. In April, drone damage was reported at a CIA drone hangar near Erbil in northern Iraq.
The Pentagon said US airstrikes on Monday night hit operational installations and weapons storage facilities in two locations in Syria and one in Iraq. "These facilities are used by Iranian-backed militias who carry out drone attacks on US personnel and facilities in Iraq," it said.
An airstrike was initially considered after the April attacks in Erbil, but was postponed, according to one of the sources. Last weekend, four more sophisticated Iranian-made drones struck Erbil, hitting the construction site of a new US consulate, among other places, prompting another airstrike. No Americans were killed or injured in last weekend's attacks.
US intelligence and military personnel in Iraq have been warning for months about the risks these new and sophisticated Iranian-made drones pose to the US military. Some of these smaller, fixed-wing drones operate on GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation rather than being guided by remote pilots, making them less visible to U.S. surveillance systems and less susceptible to electronic jamming.
Although rocket attacks against Americans are almost a daily occurrence in Iraq, the new Iranian drones, dubbed "suicide drones," show a clear hardening of Iran from US intelligence and military personnel. I have a point of view. For intelligence officials, it's also a worrying sign that the skies over Iraq are no longer in the hands of the United States.
The new drones come in a variety of sizes, with wingspans ranging from about 1.5m to 3.6-4.5m, according to one U.S. military official. There is a width up to. It carries a large amount of explosives, and if it becomes a large one, it can carry up to 30 kg.
While much smaller and less deadly than the US-made MQ9 Reaper, these new Iranian drones pose unique threats, according to current and former officials. This is because the forces with this technology are known only to Iran, and it is impossible for Iran to deny its involvement. Unlike the Katyusha rockets, which are more widely available and are often fired at US troops in Iraq, these drones are likely to be used by Iranian militias trying to expel US troops in Iraq, according to US officials. There is no doubt that they donate.