Russian accusation:

US attacks on militias are just a Biden show

Clean-up operations after an airstrike on Shiite militia infrastructure in the Iraqi city of al-Qa'im(Bild: AP)

Following the death of three soldiers in a drone attack on a US base in Jordan near the Syrian border, US President Joe Biden announced a tough response. Days later, the air force did indeed carry out retaliatory attacks on 85 targets in Iraq and Syria. Fighters, weapons and infrastructure of Shiite militias supported by Iran are said to have been destroyed. For Russia, however, these attacks were merely an attempt to improve Biden's image.

"We see in these attempts to flex our muscles primarily the desire to influence the domestic political landscape in America," said Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia on Monday at a Security Council meeting on the attacks requested by Moscow. "We see a desire to somehow correct the disastrous image of the current American administration on the international stage while the presidential election campaign is in full swing," Nebensja added.

US ambassador invokes right of self-defense
There is no justification for the US action. The deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, Robert Wood, justified the US attacks in Syria and Iraq with Article 51 of the founding charter of the United Nations. This regulates the individual or collective right of states to self-defense against armed attacks. The regional command of the armed forces responsible for the Middle East emphasized that further military strikes would follow in order to combat the "threat to the stability of Iraq, the region and the security of US citizens".

Ex-intelligence officer: "Empty buildings attacked"
But even former intelligence officer Michael Pregent does not believe all these words. In an interview with bild.de on Monday, the Middle East expert criticized the fact that "not a single high-ranking commander from the militia network" with links to Tehran had been targeted. Rather, "empty buildings were shot at with precision ammunition", as he also explained on X (formerly Twitter).

Pregent was alluding to the fact that the retaliatory strikes had had such a long lead time. Until the actual attack, high-ranking militiamen could be brought to safety. "When the Islamic State or al-Qaeda carry out deadly attacks, the US responds by eliminating their leaders. But the current US administration does not dare to take out Tehran's terror commanders," said Pregent.