U.S. PRECISION STRIKE CLAIMS MILITIA LEADER IN BAGHDAD AMIDST ESCALATING REGIONAL TENSIONS

According to Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the top Pentagon spokesman, the airstrike was deemed necessary and proportionate due to Abu-Taqwa's active involvement in planning and executing attacks against American personnel. The Pentagon revealed that this strike also claimed the life of another member of Harakat al-Nujaba. Ryder emphasized the action as self-defense, citing the ongoing attacks on U.S. troops in the region.

The Iraqi government strongly condemned the airstrike, labeling it a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty and security. Yehia Rasool, a spokesman for the Iraqi military, expressed concerns about the dangerous escalation and assault on Iraq, criticizing the move as contradictory to the international coalition's mandate in the country.

This event marks a departure from previous military actions, as it specifically targeted an individual rather than a broader militia base. The Harakat al-Nujaba group had been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department in 2019. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had previously asserted that Harakat al-Nujaba, along with Kataib Hezbollah, were responsible for most attacks against coalition personnel, reserving the right for decisive responses.

U.S. ships have shot down 65 drones and missiles in the Red Sea while defending merchant shipping, according to Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the Navy's Central Command. Navy officials have not provided details about the armaments used in the downings. 

Cooper presented a combat action ribbon to a destroyer that took defensive action in the area, a prestigious award rarely bestowed on Navy ships. Navy officials have refused to provide the citation behind the award, but Cooper said the award signifies that Navy ships are considered in combat while conducting a defensive operation in the Red Sea.