Iranian personnel

Updated on: November 22, 2023 / 7:28 AM EST / CBS News Iranian foreign minister on drone attack Iranian foreign minister denies Iran's involvement in Red Sea drone attack 02:09 Several U.S. service members were injured in a ballistic missile attack by Iranian-backed militias on Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, Pentagon officials said Tuesday. The attack Monday night on U.S. and coalition forces involved a close-range ballistic missile and resulted in eight injuries and minor infrastructural damage, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement. U.S. military responded with a retaliatory strike, which was not pre-planned, killing several Iranian-backed militia personnel, CBS News learned."Immediately following the attack, a U.S. military AC-130 aircraft in the area conducted a self-defense strike against an Iranian-backed militia vehicle and a number of Iranian-backed militia personnel involved in this attack," Ryder said in his statement. In a tweet, U.S. Central Command said the AC-130 "maintained visual confirmation of the individuals from the time of the launch to the time of engagement."The U.S. conducted further "precision strikes" against two facilities in Iraq early Wednesday morning local time, CENTCOM said in a statement. "The strikes were in direct response to the attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces by Iran and Iran-backed groups," including the attack on Al-Asad Airbase, "which involved use of close-range ballistic missiles," the statement read.A U.S. official told CBS News the targets were an operations center and a communications node belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, one of the main Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The sites were manned at time of strikes, the official said, so casualties were expected. The official said there had been no retaliatory action by Kataib Hezbollah as of Wednesday morning. The U.S. service members wounded in the attack are still being evaluated, a Pentagon official told CBS News, adding that this was the 66th attack against American-affiliated military bases in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17. Secretary of State Antony Blinken exchanges challenge coins with the U.S. Marine Corps embassy security guard detachment in Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 5, 2023. Jonathan Ernst / AP The uptick in attacks comes amid international concern that the war between Israel and Hamas could broaden into a wider conflict engulfing the entire Middle East. While Iranian-backed groups have targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria with a mix of drones and rockets, this was the first time a short-range missile was used to

Attack American troops since Oct. 17, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. Of the 66 attacks in the last month, 32 were in Iraq and 34 in Syria, Singh said. The attacks have resulted in approximately 62 U.S. personnel injuries, Singh added — they do not include the injuries from Monday's attack."These groups in Iraq and Syria, that are attacking U.S. interests, have made their own decisions," Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian told CBS News last week when pushed on whether Iran backs militant groups in the Middle East."We have not taken anything off the table or ruled anything out," Singh said when asked if the U.S. will launch preemptive strikes to avoid further attacks. "We feel that we have taken appropriate action to decimate some of their facilities and some of their weapons, but again, we always reserve the right to respond at the time and place of our choosing."Last month, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that "the United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop."— Eleanor Watson and Mary Walsh contributed reporting.Correction: This story has been updated to indicate the strike on Al-Asad Airbase happened Monday night. In: Al-Asad Airbase Iraq Iran Hamas Israel Syria S. Dev S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.

"Get your fangs out, Hawkins. We're hunting big game today."— The pilot in the beginning of the mission.Going Hunting is the fourth mission in the singleplayer campaign of Battlefield 3. Lt. Jennifer Hawkins, a Weapons System Officer on a F/A-18F Super Hornet, takes off from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) stationed in the Persian Gulf to engage enemy targets.Synopsis[]Getting airborne[]The mission begins as Hawkins meets up with her pilot below deck on the USS George H.W. Bush, and is briefed on the mission ahead. The mission the pair had to complete was to conduct air strikes against military targets and neutralize Al-Bashir in Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, but the pilot noted that Iranian jets were already in the air. The pair make their way onto the flight deck, passing several naval personnel on their way to the jet, an F/A-18F Super Hornet.Putting on her helmet once reaching the aircraft, Hawkins climbs into the rear seat of the Super Hornet, and activates the Multi-Function Displays in front of her seat, and closes the canopy. Her pilot then begins to run through pre-flight checks, starting with checking the flaps and stabilizers on the aircraft. Hawkins first visually checks the port side of the aircraft, then the starboard side. Next, Hawkins activated the Helmet Mounted Display, checking that the cannon, Sidewinder missiles and flares were all working, before giving the final go-ahead for launch. Shark 4-2, the wingman to Shark 4-6, Hawkins' jet, was catapulted off of the ship first, before 4-6 is catapulted moments later. Flying a loop around the US fleet in the ocean, 4-2 and 4-6 link up and proceed towards their objective in Tehran some 1500 kilometers away.Clearing the skies[]The two jets climb up into the cloud layer, experiencing some minor turbulence, but break through above the cloud cover. However, 4-2 notices a radar contact, several miles out, without an IFF tone signalling they were friendly. Suddenly, two Iranian Su-35S fly past, firing cannon rounds towards the US jets. 4-2 and 4-6 break formation, with 4-6 going for one of the Iranian jets that had broken right, whereas 4-2 went for the one on the left. However, the Sukhoi that 4-6 was hunting down pulled off a Pugachev's Cobra, managing to get behind 4-6 and starting its pursuit. Shark 4-2, moments before being hit by an Iranian missile. Hawkins now began to launch counter-measures to avoid

Ahead of increased Russan offensive operations in Ukraine. Russian officials therefore may be attempting to gradually integrate these irregular formations through subordinating mobilized personnel under them without disrupting the command structures and existing personnel operating at front line positions. The mobilized personnel of the 640th\xa0howitzer battalion claimed that DNR command is retraining assault units for artillery purposes yet still committing their artillery battalion to infantry roles, indicating a breakdown in command and the proper utilization of personnel among DNR formations.[9]\xa0The Russian MoD will likely struggle to correct the poor effectiveness of DNR/LNR forces through the rapid integration of Russian personnel.\n\nRussian officials continue to propose measures to prepare Russia’s military industry for a protracted war in Ukraine while also likely setting further conditions for sanctions evasion.\xa0Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin stated on February 8 that the Russian government will subsidize investment projects for the modernization of enterprises operating in the interests of the Russian military and will allocate significant funds for manufacturing new military equipment.[10]\xa0Mishustin also stated that the Russian government would extend benefits to Russian entrepreneurs who support the Russian military, including extended payment periods on rented federal property.[11]\xa0The Kremlin likely intends these measures to augment its overarching effort to gradually prepare Russia’s military industry for a protracted war in Ukraine while avoiding a wider economic mobilization that would create further domestic economic disruptions and corresponding discontent.[12]\n\nRussian officials also likely proposed these measures in coordination with a recent decree excluding Russian officials from requirements to list income declarations and proposals to repeal federal procurement procedures. The Kremlin may be creating a system of subsidies and benefits designed to have little oversight or accounting. This lack of oversight and accounting would likely allow Russian firms to better evade international sanctions regimes targeting Russia’s military industry.[13]\xa0The United Kingdom announced a new list of sanctioned entities on February 8 focused on Russia’s military industry.[14]\xa0ISW previously reported that 82% of Iranian-made drones downed in Ukraine had chips, semiconductors, and other components from the United States, suggesting that Russia and Iran are likely exploiting loopholes to transfer Western-produced arms components to Russia via proxy actors.[15]\xa0The Kremlin’s effort to prepare the Russian military industry for a protracted war in Ukraine in part relies on the ability of Russian military industry to have consistent access to multiple secure supply chains of key foreign components that it otherwise cannot produce.\n\nKey Takeaways\n\nRussian forces have regained the initiative in Ukraine