IRAQ WARNS OF DISASTROUS CONSQUENCES FOR THE REGION AFTER THE LATEST US STRIKES

 The US has launched strikes on 85 targets in Syria and Iraq in response to last Sunday's drone attack on a US military base

1. The White House had blamed an Iran-backed militia umbrella group for the attack that killed three US soldiers
2. Iraq says that the US retaliatory strikes will bring disastrous consequences for the region and that civilians were among 16 people killed
3. The US says its forces conducted airstrikes against Iran-baked militia groups based in Iraq and Syria
4. "Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing," President Biden said in a statement on Friday.
5. Iran has denied involvement in the attack on the US base, calling the accusations "baseless" and saying it was "not involved in the decision-making of resistance groups" 
   
   
   

6. Iraq accuses US of using its territory as a 'battleground for settling scores'

   More reaction now from the Iraqi government, after the United States said it launched retaliatory strikes on 85 targets in Syria and Iraq.

   In a statement, Iraqi government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi says US strikes hit locations in the Iraqi towns of Akashat and al-Qaim, "including areas where our security forces are stationed".

   The statement accuses the US of turning Iraqi territory into a "battleground for settling scores".

   He continues by saying it is imperative that "all involved parties comprehend that our nation's land and sovereignty should not serve as a stage for exchanging messages or a display of force by adversaries". 

   Why are there US bases in Iraq and Syria?

   The US base which was hit last Sunday in a deadly drone attack in a north-west corner of Jordan is one of more than a dozen where US military personnel operate across Iraq, Jordan and Syria. 

   

   
   

   Here's a quick summary of where the US has bases across the Middle East, and why.

   Iraq - There are about 2,500 troops based in Iraq. Their presence is at the invitation of the Iraqi government as part of a US-led coalition to prevent a resurgence of the jihadist Islamic State group, which still has a presence there after being routed in 2017.

   Syria - There are also about 900 US personnel in Syria. They are officially there to support its anti-IS ally the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria's semi-autonomous north-east region. The Syrian government opposes the US presence in its country, calling it an occupation.

   The US also has about 3,000 US troops based in Jordan, which is a key US ally, and many more bases including three major air bases in the Gulf and a port in Bahrain.

   Attacks on US bases are not uncommon, with the US regularly responding with retaliatory strikes.

7. Iraq summons US envoy in protest over airstrikes

   Iraq's foreign ministry has summoned the US envoy in Baghdad to deliver a formal memorandum of protest over the retaliatory US airstrikes launched overnight, state news agency INA reports.

8. What is Iran's 'axis of resistance'

   As we've been reporting, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq responsible for the deadly attack on US troops in Jordan is part of what is known as Iran's "axis of resistance".

   The core of the "axis of resistance" is made up of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis in Yemen and assorted Iraqi militias that are armed and trained by Iran. The Iranians have also supported Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Gaza.

   The US and many other countries have designated Hezbollah, Hamas, PIJ and the Houthis as terrorist organisations.

   Members of these armed groups receive weapons and funding from Iran and are under the influence of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, though they often operate outside of his chain of command.

9. THIS AND MANY MORE REPORTS AT: Iraq warns of disastrous consequences for region after US strikes - live updates - BBC News