The group known as Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for targeting Israel’s Ashdod Port, 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, early Tuesday, in response to Israel’s continuing ground and aerial offensive against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, the group announced on its Telegram Channel.
The Islamic Resistance said that it had used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to strike the Israeli port, but so far no casualties have been reported, according to Lebanese television station al-Mayadeen.
UAVs also attacked the Ain al-Asad air base and Koniko oilfield in Deir Ezzor in Iraq’s western region of Anbar, where US soldiers are allegedly stationed for training and advising operations.
The strikes came amid simmering anti-US anger in the region for Washington’s steadfast backing of Israel’s ongoing assault on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile late Monday, the US and UK carried out their eighth attack against the Houthi rebel group in Yemen in less than 10 days.
The US and UK coordinated attacks on eight zones, with the support of Canada, the Netherlands, Bahrain, and Australia.
According to a senior military and defense official, the recent attacks were “successful” and damaged missiles, weapons storage locations, and drone systems.
Houthi leader Mohamed Ali al-Houthi tweeted: “Your strikes will only make the Yemeni people stronger and more determined to confront you, as you are the aggressors against our country.”
The Houthis asserted that the US-UK operation launched 18 airstrikes on four governorates on Monday night.
Over the past 24 hours, twenty-one Israeli troops have been killed as they came under fire in the southern Gaza Strip, as a result of a bomb that toppled two buildings with soldiers inside. More than 190 Palestinians were killed by the IDF in the Gaza Strip, 65 of them in the besieged southern city of Khan Younis.
Whether in Yemen or Iraq, these attacks on American bases and ships are claimed to be in reaction to the US’s unconditional support for Israel’s siege against the Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, which have left more than 24,620 dead and 61,830 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Authority.