CBS News: The U.S. has finalized plans to attack Iran's proxies in Iraq and Syria

On Thursday, February 1, CBS News reported, citing American officials, that the U.S. has finalized plans for several days of attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran's targets in Iraq and Syria, including its personnel and facilities. According to the report, this action will be in response to deadly drone and missile attacks on American forces on Sunday, January 28. In the January 28 attack, Iran-backed militants targeted 'Tower 22 Base' in Jordan, near the Syrian border, killing three American soldiers and injuring dozens more. CBS News reported that weather conditions will be a significant factor in the timing of the attacks; while the U.S. has the capability to conduct strikes in bad weather, it prefers better visibility to avoid accidentally hitting its own civilians. The report states that since the Kata'ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, announced on Wednesday that it would suspend military operations against American forces, there have been no new attacks on U.S. forces in the region. CBS reported that there are no signs that the announcement of the suspension of attacks by this group has delayed U.S. retaliatory strikes. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, emphasized on Wednesday that the timing of this announcement for the group is too late, and as President Joe Biden has stated, the U.S. will take actions to hold accountable those responsible for the deaths of American soldiers. Amid the Israel-Hamas war, several Iran-backed groups in the Middle East have increased attacks on U.S. and Israeli-related entities. Hamas ignited the war with a terrorist attack on October 7, which Israeli officials say killed around 1,200 people. The U.S., U.K., European Union, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist group. Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, also stated on Thursday at the Pentagon that the U.S. will not tolerate attacks on American forces. Austin noted the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea, saying, 'This is a dangerous moment in the Middle East. We will continue our actions to prevent broader conflict in the region, taking all necessary measures to defend the U.S., its interests, and its people, and we will choose the time, place, and manner of these actions ourselves.' Austin also responded to the Kata'ib Hezbollah group's statement about halting their attacks on American forces, saying, 'We always listen to what is said, but we are watching their actions, and... actions speak louder than words. So we will see what happens in the future.' Austin told reporters that the U.S. is trying to hold accountable those who are escalating tensions in the region without exacerbating conflict. Regarding Iran's awareness of the drone attack on the U.S. military base in Jordan, he stated that what is important is that the attack was carried out by elements of the 'Resistance Axis,' which are Iran's proxy groups.