President Joe Biden is cautioning Iran against threatening U.S. troops in Iraq.
He told reporters Friday that his authorization of airstrikes against facilities in Syria used by Iran-backed militia groups was meant to signal to Iran that it “can’t act with impunity.”
The administration is defending the airstrikes as legal and appropriate, saying they took out facilities that housed valuable “capabilities” used by militia groups to attack American and allied forces in Iraq.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said members of Congress were notified before the Thursday strikes.
In a twist, several leading members of Congress in Biden’s own party denounced the strikes, while Republicans were more supportive.
With inputs from a report by AP