Washington DC, US

The United States officials have approved plans for a series of strikes against Iranian personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria for over a number of days, CBS News reported on Thursday (Feb 1) citing government sources. 

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The strikes will come in response to drone and rocket attacks targeting US forces in the region, including the recent drone attack that killed three US service members in Jordan and left dozens others injured. 

The CBS report quoted US officials as saying the weather was a factor in the timing of the planned strikes, as Washington prefers to carry out strikes when visibility is good over its targets to safeguard against hitting civilians. 

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Washington has said the attack on its troops in Jordan near the Syrian border bore the "footprints" of Ketaib Hezbollah, which is a pro-Iranian militia based in Iraq. That group said on Wednesday it was suspending military action against US forces to avoid embarrassing the Iraqi government. 

Meanwhile, four US officials told the news agency Reuters that the drone used in the attack was believed to have been made in Iran, linking Tehran directly to the attacks. But Iran has denied any role. 

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Iran 'not afraid of war' with US 

Hossein Salami, the chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Wednesday, that Tehran is not afraid of direct military confrontation with Washington. He also said that threats coming from the US will not be left unanswered, further adding that Iran is not seeking war with the US. 

"We hear some threats from American officials about targeting Iran. We tell them that you tested us and we know each other. We do not leave any threat unanswered, and we do not look for war, but we are not afraid of it. This is the well-known truth," he said. 

According to the official IRNA news agency, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, "America must stop using the language of threat and projection and focus on a political solution." 

"Iran's response to threats is decisive and immediate," he added. 

Iran's comment came after Biden's remarks, in which he said he had decided on a response to a drone attack. But even the Biden administration had stressed that it was not seeking a war with Iran. 

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. 

(With inputs from agencies)