(NEW YORK) — New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium will host the final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the end of a tournament that will span three countries and will see a total of 104 matches, FIFA announced Sunday.
The tournament will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The opening match will be on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, FIFA said. The famed stadium will be the first to host three World Cups.
The World Cup will also see an expansion of teams, with 48 nations represented, up from 32.
The United States’ group stage matches will be spread throughout the West Coast, with Los Angeles and Seattle to see the Americans take the pitch.
Other U.S. cities hosting matches include Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Boston and Philadelphia.
The World Cup final in New Jersey will be held on July 19, 2026.
Following an initial tribute from Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello, more rock musicians have shared their thoughts following the passing of Wayne Kramer. The influential MC5 guitarist died of pancreatic cancer Friday, February 2 at age 75. Here are some of the posts:
Jack White: “We lost one of Detroit’s greatest, brother Wayne Kramer of the MC5. The first guitar solo I ever sat down and learned was Wayne’s from the 5 song ‘Looking At You.’ He was definitely part of the solution as he changed rock and roll and broke the ground wide open in Detroit for the rest of us. Thank you brother Wayne for all that have done and will continue to do forever.”
Slash: “My life was forever changed for the better when I met this man. & I’m going to miss him immeasurably. The embodiment of all things Rock n Roll. & a really f****** great human being. RIP Wayne, you will live on in our hearts.”
Duff McKagan: “Rest in Peace @waynekramer. Just a supremely sweet man, and one hell of a rock and roll fire-starter.”
Alice Cooper: “I’ve known Wayne since 1968 in Detroit, and we’ve worked together often and as late as last year. He had a big life, and I always respected how passionate he was about his charity Jail Guitar Doors which helped give prisoners access to music, guitars and often hope for their future. [Producer] Bob Ezrin and I considered Wayne one of our favorite people, and we will miss collaborating with him tremendously.”
William DuVall: “I’ve been struggling all evening for words about the passing of @waynekramerofficial. He was a childhood idol who became a friend. As rock-n-roll bands go, it just doesn’t get any cooler than the MC5. Brother Wayne on lead guitar was a force of nature onstage – face-melting licks and James Brown splits all in one swaggering turbo-powered Detroit animal machine. Just swipe and you’ll see: Gonzo attitude. Zero compromise.”
(LOS ANGELES) — Dangerous weather conditions are affecting nearly the entire state of California over the coming days.
A second round of atmospheric rivers is bringing even more rain and flooding to Southern California in less than a week, exacerbating life-threatening flooding in the region for tens of millions of residents.
The system is forecast to be one of the most significant storms in state history, bringing the threat of flash flooding possible from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, as well as heavy snow and wind in the mountains. Widespread power outages, roadway flooding, mudslides and the likelihood of numerous swift-water rescues are anticipated, according to the National Weather Service.
A flood watch has been issued for a large swath of the Golden State — from Redding to Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego — affecting 40 million people.
There is a high risk of excessive rainfall for much of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. This indicates a 70% risk of meeting life-threatening flash flood rainfall conditions, according to the NWS. Severe and widespread flash floods are expected in the area, even in places that don’t normally experience flash flooding.
Some of the regions expected to receive the brunt of the moisture are already inundated from the last system.
Santa Barbara, where evacuation orders have been issued, has received 300% of its normal rainfall for this time of year in the last seven days alone. The ground in the region is extremely saturated and unable to soak in additional moisture, causing fast-falling rainwater to wash away immediately, creating conditions for significant flash flooding.
Rain totals will be impressive in Santa Barbara, with 3 to 6 inches across the coastal and valley areas and 6 inches to a foot of rain for the foothills and mountains — especially from Santa Barbara County and south. Any thunderstorms that develop will bring the heaviest rain, up to 1.5 inches per hour, forecasts show.
The storm system is so strong that an extremely rare hurricane-force wind warning has been issued off the coast of Big Sur and Gorda, with wind gusts potentially reaching up to 90 mph.
There is also a chance for brief tornadoes and waterspouts from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles throughout Sunday. In the Los Angeles metro area, winds are expected to gust 25 to 40 mph on Sunday. Farther north, from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo, wind gusts from 50 to 70 mph are expected.
A high surf advisory has also been issued. Large breaking waves of 20 to 25 feet are expected in the Bay Area. Big Sur could see waves up to 35 feet, while Santa Barbara could experience waves up to 20 feet, forecasts show.
A winter storm warning has been issued in the mountains outside Los Angeles. Heavy snow is expected to mix with winds up to 85 mph, which will cause impossible driving conditions, extensive tree damage and widespread power outages. Between 2 and 4 feet of snow is forecast in the highest elevations.
Along the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Lake Tahoe could see between 1 and 3 feet of snow, with other parts of the mountain range seeing 2 to 4 feet above 5,000 feet. At times, snowfall rates may exceed 3 inches per hour.
Here’s to expect on the timing of the storm (all times Pacific):
Sunday, Feb. 4
Heavy rain began falling in the Bay Area around 2 a.m. Sunday, extending southward and reaching Santa Barbara by 7 a.m.
By 3 p.m., heavy rain will be situated over Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, with heavy snow in the mountains, as well as damaging winds.
The heavy precipitation will slowly push south overnight but will continue in the Los Angeles area through the evening hours, making travel difficult and dangerous in places that flood.
Monday, Feb. 5
By 4 a.m. Monday, the heaviest rain will be occurring in the San Diego area, triggering flood threats in the region.
Through the day, rain will still fall steadily from Santa Barbara to San Diego, which is why a flood watch is in effect there until Tuesday. The rain is not expected to let up, and water levels in streams and rivers will continue to rise, making some roadways impassable.
Light and moderate rain will continue from the Bay Area to San Diego — and heavy snow in the mountains — by 3 p.m., causing the flood threat to continue.
Tuesday, Feb. 6
Rain will still be coming down on Tuesday morning from Santa Barbara to San Diego, forecasts show.
In the afternoon on Tuesday, the rain will break up and become more scattered, but there will still be periodic heavy downpours from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles.
Rain and snow are expected to be coming down across much of the West at this time.
(WASHINGTON) — Sen. JD Vance on Sunday defended Donald Trump as the former president faces a litany of legal issues amid his comeback campaign for the White House.
In a contentious interview with ABC News “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos, Vance — a onetime Trump critic — also doubled down on his views of the 2020 election, saying the results shouldn’t have been immediately certified, and he went on to suggest Trump should ignore “illegitimate” U.S. Supreme Court rulings.
Vance, an Ohio Republican who has been floated in the media as a potential running mate for Trump, was asked by Stephanopoulos if he would have certified the 2020 election results as vice president, as required by the Constitution and as then-Vice President Mike Pence did.
Vance called it a “ridiculous question” and claimed Stephanopoulos was “obsessed with talking about this” but went on to say he would have liked to see the certification of the 2020 election handled differently.
“Do I think there were problems in 2020? Yes, I do,” he said citing a list of issues, including social media restrictions on some content about Hunter Biden and changes in state election laws to accommodate for health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If I had been vice president, I would have told the states, like Pennsylvania, Georgia and so many others, that we needed to have multiple slates of electors and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there,” he continued. “That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020. I think that’s what we should have done.”
The Constitution makes no such provisions for this. There has been no confirmed evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 race, and the results were affirmed by local officials across the country, including many Republicans.
Stephanopoulos also asked Vance about a September 2021 podcast interview where he said that if Trump is reelected in 2024, he would advise the former president to “fire every single mid-level bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people” — and, if and when the courts tried to stop him, “stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did, and say, ‘The chief justice has made his ruling. Now let him enforce it.'”
“Fire everyone in the government, then defy the Supreme Court? You think it’s OK for the president to defy the Supreme Court?” Stephanopoulos asked.
Vance asserted that he “did not say fire everyone in government,” but Stephanopoulos pushed back, repeating that Vance said in the podcast Trump should replace “every civil servant in the administrative state.”
Vance, however, continued, arguing, “We have a major problem here with administrators and bureaucrats in the government who don’t respond to the elected branches. … If those people aren’t following the rules, then of course you’ve got to fire them, and of course, the president has to be able to run the government as he thinks he should. That’s the way the Constitution works.”
“The Constitution also says the president must abide by legitimate Supreme Court rulings, doesn’t it?” Stephanopoulos pressed.
“The Constitution says that the Supreme Court can make rulings … but if the Supreme Court said the president of the United States can’t fire a general, that would be an illegitimate ruling,” Vance said.
Vance separately cast the civil and criminal cases against Trump as biased, including a jury in New York finding the former president liable for sexual assault and another New York jury awarding $83 million in defamation damages to E. Jean Carroll, who says she was assaulted by Trump — which has been spotlighted in anti-Trump advertising.
Trump denies wrongdoing and has vowed to appeal.
“I think it’s actually very unfair to the victims of sexual assault to say that somehow their lives are being worse by electing Donald Trump for president when what he’s trying to do, I think, is restore prosperity,” Vance told Stephanopoulos when asked to respond to the argument that backing Trump meant tacitly supporting abusers.
“If you actually look at so many of the court cases against Donald Trump, George, this is not about prosecuting Trump for something that he did. It’s about throwing him off the ballot because Democrats feel that they can’t beat him at the ballot box. And so, they’re trying to defeat him in court,” Vance argued, though Republicans and non-Democrats have brought some of the complaints against Trump.
“I think most Americans recognize that this is not what we want to fight the 2024 election on. Let’s fight it over issues,” the senator added.
He sought to dismiss the findings of the New York juries, saying there are in “extremely left-wing jurisdictions” and contending that politics played a role in some of the accusations being brought.
“So juries in New York City are not legitimate when they find someone liable for sexual defamation and assault?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“Well, when the cases are funded by left-wing donors and when the case has absolute left-wing bias all over it, George, absolutely I think that we should call into question that particular conclusion,” Vance replied.
(WASHINGTON) — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday criticized Republican colleagues who have come out against a pending bipartisan deal in the Senate to tie foreign military aid to an overhaul of immigration policy.
In an interview with ABC News “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos, Jeffries also said that a stand-alone Israel military aid bill proposed by Speaker Mike Johnson, as an alternative to the Senate agreement, isn’t “comprehensive” enough “to address the national security priorities of the American people.”
“We’ve got to support Israel’s ability to defend itself against Hamas and to defeat Hamas. We also need to make sure that we’re doing everything possible to bring the hostages home, including American citizens, and to be able to surge humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians who are in harm’s way in Gaza through no fault of their own,” Jeffries told Stephanopoulos.
“Beyond that, we also have to address the national security priorities of the American people in other parts of the world,” Jeffries said.
“The legislation being put forth by House Republicans does none of that,” he said.
“The responsible approach is a comprehensive one to address America’s national security priorities,” he continued.
That includes “supporting our NATO allies, stopping Russian aggression, which is necessary — and Ukraine has done a very good job showing incredible resilience against a brutal Russian attack, we can’t abandon that. And we also, of course, have to work on the challenges related to our broken immigration system,” he said.
But, Jeffries said, funding legislation should not include conditions on military support for Israel, which is something that some progressive Democrats have called for in light of Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza as it targets Hamas fighters.
More than 27,000 people have died, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
“Israel has a right to defend itself and also, of course, a responsibility to conduct its war in a manner consistent with the international rules of conflict,” Jeffries said Sunday. “We shouldn’t put conditions on the ability of any of our allies to defend themselves, particularly against a brutal terrorist regime like Hamas.”
Jeffries told Stephanopoulos that the the Senate’s military funding and immigration package could be available “as early as later on this afternoon, if not tomorrow.”
“We’ll see what emerges,” he said.
Johnson has criticized the reported details of that pending deal and called it “dead on arrival” if the final text is what has already been described in the press.
The speaker said last week that the Senate’s bill must include key parts of a strict border proposal that House Republicans have already passed.
“The devil is in the details. We’ll check it out. I’m not prejudging anything,” Johnson on Friday. Some other GOP lawmakers have directly dismissed the deal.
On “This Week,” Jeffries pushed back on Johnson’s skepticism and said, “How can a bill be dead on arrival and extreme MAGA Republicans in the House haven’t even seen the text? They don’t even know what solutions are being proposed in terms of addressing the challenges at the border.”
“We need more common sense in Washington, D.C., less conflict and less chaos,” Jeffries said. “We’re in a period of divided government. That means we should be trying to find bipartisan common ground.”
He jabbed at House Republicans as “wholly owned subsidiaries of Donald Trump,” a criticism that Johnson has rejected.
Ahead of an imminent vote to approve articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Jeffries maintained that such a move would be purely political because there is no evidence of a crime.
“What does impeaching Secretary Mayorkas have to do with fixing the challenges at the border? The answer is absolutely nothing,” he said.
In the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday, Jeffries was asked about Biden’s continued streak of poor polling, including against Trump.
Stephanopoulos pressed Jeffries on what he feels Biden should do to close the gap in support.
“That was a tremendous victory in South Carolina, a decisive one. And I think it demonstrates that as we enter into the campaign season, the American people are beginning to focus on President Biden’s incredible track record of results,” Jeffries said.
He added, “Yes, more needs to be done in terms of addressing affordability and the inflationary pressures, and President Biden has a vision to do that.”
ABC News’ Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — After carrying out dozens of strikes in Iraq and Syria last week, the U.S. will take “more action” against Iran-backed militants in response to a deadly drone attack on an American base in Jordan, the White House’s national security adviser said Sunday.
“This was the beginning of our response, there will be more steps,” Jake Sullivan told ABC News “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos. “Some of those steps will be seen, some may not be seen. But there will be more action taken to respond to the tragic death of the three brave U.S. service members.”
Late Friday, the U.S. launched its first round of retaliatory strikes in Syria and Iraq, hitting as many as 85 targets at seven facilities in less than 45 minutes, according to the U.S., which has blamed Iran-backed fighters for the attack on Tower 22 in Jordan on Jan. 28.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the targets were being used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “and affiliated militias … to attack U.S. forces.”
Iran has denied involvement in the strike on Tower 22. Pressed by Stephanopoulos on Sunday whether additional retaliation could escalate tension with Iran, Sullivan said it’s something the U.S. is prepared for.
“This is something that we have to look at as a threat,” he said. “We have to prepare for every contingency, and we are prepared for that contingency. And I would just say, from the perspective of Tehran, if they chose to respond directly to the United States, they would be met with a swift and forceful response from us.”
Asked how much direct contact the U.S. has had with Iran to try and contain mounting hostilities in the Middle East, in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, Sullivan suggested the U.S. strikes were their own kind of message.
“Over the course of the past few months, we’ve had the opportunity to engage in the passage of messages back and forth between the U.S. and Iran,” he said. “But in the last few days, the message that we have sent to Iran has been through our action not through our words.”
By contrast, Sullivan said the U.S. has been in “constant” communication with Israel, and in talks with Qatar and Egypt, in pushing for a deal to secure the release of many of the remaining Oct. 7 hostages thought to be held by Hamas.
Such an agreement would be tied to a more long-term, if not lasting, cease-fire, Sullivan said.
“We regard a hostage deal, the release of hostages, as both being obviously critical for getting people home to their loved ones, but also being critical to generate a sustained pause in hostilities that can support the flow of humanitarian assistance and that can alleviate the suffering in Gaza,” Sullivan said.
But that hinges on Hamas, he said.
Stephanopoulos asked if a hostage deal was imminent and Sullivan said, “I cannot tell you it’s right around the corner.”
“Ultimately these kinds of negotiations unfold somewhat slowly until they unfold very quickly. And so it’s difficult to put a precise timetable on when something might come together or, frankly, if something might come together,” Sullivan said.
More broadly, Sullivan reiterated that the U.S. sees only one “long-term answer to peace in the region” and “to Israel’s security”: a state for the Palestinians, with “security guarantees for Israel.”
“That’s what we’re going to keep working for,” Sullivan said, adding, “I think since Oct. 7, the need to work on that has only increased.”
However, he dodged when asked by Stephanopoulos if work on a peace plan would require a change in Israel’s current, right-wing government, though Sullivan did say that President Joe Biden had privately made his views about a future Palestinian state clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Separately, Sullivan addressed ongoing work in Congress on potential military aid to Israel and other countries.
A bipartisan agreement is close in the Senate to provide more funding to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan and to fund enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border while overhauling immigration policy.
However, House Speaker Mike Johnson has panned reported details of that pending deal, saying it doesn’t go far enough on immigration. Instead, Johnson said he plans to introduce a stand-alone aid bill for Israel.
“Well, the timing is interesting,” Sullivan told Stephanopoulos.
“We regard that not as actually trying to address the security of Israel, but rather trying to address politics in the United States,” Sullivan said. “And from our perspective, security of Israel should be sacred. It should not be a political game.”
Pressed on if Biden would sign the stand-alone Israel aid bill if it made it to his desk, Sullivan said the president favors the Senate’s work and “doesn’t think doing these things piecemeal makes sense.”
(NEW YORK) — The U.S. on Friday began to carry out strikes against Iran-backed militants and Iranian military targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a drone strike on an American base in Jordan last Sunday that killed three U.S. service members.
Dozens of other American troops were wounded in the drone attack on the Tower 22 base near Jordan’s border with Iraq and Syria. The U.S. says Iran is responsible for funding and arming the militants while Iran has denied involvement.
President Joe Biden had quickly warned that America would respond forcefully, escalating U.S. involvement in the Middle East after months of trying to contain tensions from boiling over into a broader war in the region.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 04, 10:47 AM
More retaliatory operations planned after troop deaths, official says
The U.S. will take “more action” against Iran-backed militants in response to the deadly drone attack in Jordan last week, the White House’s national security adviser said in an interview on Sunday.
“This was the beginning of our response, there will be more steps,” Jake Sullivan told ABC News “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos. “Some of those steps will be seen, so may not be seen. But there will be more action taken to respond to the the tragic death of the three brave U.S. service members.”
The U.S. has blamed Iran-backed fighters for the attack on Tower 22 in Jordan on Jan. 28.
Iran has denied involvement. Pressed by Stephanopoulos whether additional strikes could escalation tension with Iran, Sullivan said it’s something the U.S. is prepared for.
“This is something that we have to look at as a threat,” he said. “We have to prepare for every contingency, and we are prepared for that contingency. And I would just say, from the perspective of Tehran, if they chose to respond directly to the United States, they would be met with a swift and forceful response from us.”
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow
Feb 03, 11:05 PM
US destroys anti-ship cruise missile in Yemen: CENTCOM
Early Sunday morning, the United States conducted a strike “in self-defense against a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea,” a statement from the U.S. Central Command forces said.
Around 4 a.m. locally, U.S. forces identified a cruise missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined it presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region, according to CENTCOM.
According to the release, “This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels.”
Feb 03, 6:06 PM
Airstrikes on Yemen aim to stop attacks against US ships and international commercial vessels
The round of airstrikes launched by the U.S. and U.K. on Saturday “further degraded the Houthis’ capability to continue their illegal and reckless attacks” against U.S. ships and international commercial vessels, according to a senior U.S. administration official.
“The U.S. does not want escalation, and these strikes are directly in response to the actions by the Iranian-backed Houthis,” the senior administration official said. “They are unrelated to the action the United States took on Friday in response to the continued attacks on our troops and facilities in Iraq and Syria.”
The official emphasizes that the U.S. has “rallied a global coalition” to condemn and hold the Houthis accountable, adding that this is the third round of strikes as part of the coalition that includes the U.S., UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, and now also Denmark and New Zealand.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang
Feb 03, 6:05 PM
Correction: Strikes on Houthis in Yemen not in response to attack on troops in Jordan, per US officials
The U.S. and U.K. led a coalition of strikes against Houthis in Yemen focused on degrading the Houthis capabilities in shipping attacks, US officials say, stressing that the strikes are unrelated to strikes against targets in Iraq and Syria on Friday which were in response to the attack on U.S. troops in Jordan. Earlier reporting said the attacks on Yemen were in response to the attack on U.S. troops in Jordan.
While the timing may be coincidental, both the militia groups in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis are backed by Iran, U.S. officials say. But when asked if there was an intended message for Iran as well, the U.S. officials said they did not want to focus on Iran and instead kept the discussion about how each of the airstrikes was intended to deter and degrade Iran’s local proxies.
Feb 03, 5:16 PM
Austin warns Houthis to end attacks on shipping vessels
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released a statement saying the strikes on Yemen aim to “disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia” from continuing to attack vessels in the Red Sea.
The strikes targeted Houthis’ deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems, and radars, according to a statement from Austin.
“This collective action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will continue to bear further consequences if they do not end their illegal attacks on international shipping and naval vessels,” Austin said.
He added, “We will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”
-ABC News’ Nate Luna
Feb 03, 5:05 PM
US, UK launch strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen
The militaries of the U.S. and U.K. launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand, the countries said in a joint statement Saturday.
The strikes targeted 13 locations in Yemen in response to the Houthis’ continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea, the statement said.
“These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade, and the lives of innocent mariners, and are in response to a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions since previous coalition strikes on January 11 and 22, 2024, including the January 27 attack which struck and set ablaze the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda,” the statement said.
-ABC News’ Nate Luna
Feb 03, 4:37 PM
US retaliatory strikes begin in Yemen
The next round of retaliatory strikes for the attack in Jordan are ongoing in Yemen at this time, three U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News.
The strikes are in addition to the six anti-ship missiles that were taken out, also in Yemen, earlier in the day.
-ABC News’ Nate Luna
Feb 03, 2:37 PM
29 members of Iranian militias killed in strikes on Syria
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group which reports on war in Syria, confirmed that 29 members of Iranian militias were killed in airstrikes on 28 positions.
Separately, Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a state security force including Iran-backed groups, said that 16 its members were killed including fighters and medics.
Feb 03, 12:10 PM
Hezbollah condemns US strikes in Iraq, Syria
In a statement on Saturday, the Hezbollah terrorist organization strongly condemned the U.S.’s strikes on Iraq and Syria and extended its sympathies for the lives lost.
“What the United States of America did is a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the two countries, an attack on their security and territorial integrity, and a shameless violation of all international and humanitarian laws,” Hezbollah said.
“This new aggression contributes to destabilizing the region, and creating false justifications and pretexts for the continuation of the American occupation of several regions in Iraq and Syria against the will of their people who yearn for freedom and independence,” Hezbollah said.
U.S. officials said Friday that targets were chosen to avoid civilian casualties and because they were connected to enabling the attacks against American service members.
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Aras Maman
Feb 03, 12:05 PM
Jordan denies involvement in US strikes in Iraq
A Jordanian military source told the state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV that Jordan was not involved in U.S. strikes on Iraqi soil, refuting earlier allegations. However, the Jordanian statement did not mention strikes in Syrian territory.
“There is no truth to press reports regarding the participation of Jordanian aircraft in operations carried out by American aircraft inside Iraq,” the source told Al-Mamlaka TV.
“The Jordanian Armed Forces respect the sovereignty of brotherly Iraq,” the source said, confirming “the depth of the brotherly relations that unite Jordan with all Arab countries.”
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Aras Maman
Feb 03, 11:06 AM
Iraq declares 3 days of public mourning over strike deaths
The Iraqi government declared that it will have three days of public mourning over the civilians and armed forces who were killed in the U.S. strikes.
“Today, Saturday, the Prime Minister, Mr. Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, directed the declaration of general mourning in all state departments and institutions, for a period of three days, out of mercy for the souls of the martyrs of our armed forces and the civilians who died as a result of the American bombing on the areas of Akashat and Al-Qaim, west of Anbar Governorate,” the Iraqi prime minister’s office said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres
Feb 03, 6:39 AM
Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons US diplomat following strikes
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Baghdad, the Iraqi MFA said in an official statement.
“In protest against the American aggression that targeted Iraqi military and civilian sites, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon the Charge d’Affairs of the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Mr. David Perker, due to the absence of the American Ambassador, to hand him an official note of protest regarding the American attack that targeted military and civilian sites in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions yesterday evening,” the MFA statement said.
Feb 03, 6:07 AM
U.S. strikes in Iraq killed at least 16 and wounded 25: Iraqi government
U.S. strikes in Iraq killed at least 16 people and wounded 25 others, the Iraqi government confirmed in an official statement.
“The American administration committed a new aggression against the sovereignty of Iraq, as the locations of our security forces, in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions, as well as neighboring civilian places, were bombed by several American aircraft,” said the Iraqi government. “This blatant aggression led to 16 martyrs, including civilians, in addition to 25 wounded. It also caused losses and damage to residential buildings and citizens’ property.”
The Iraqi government also said the strikes would “put security in Iraq and the region on the brink of the abyss” and that they directly contradict the United States effort to “establish the required stability” in the region.
Feb 02, 10:22 PM
Video of B-1 bomber aircraft taking off to carry out airstrike: CENTCOM
The United States Central Command posted a video Friday evening showing B-1 bomber aircraft taking off from its bases in the U.S. to carry out the airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups continue to represent a direct threat to the stability of Iraq, the region, and the safety of Americans. We will continue to take action, do whatever is necessary to protect our people, and hold those responsible who threaten their safety,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, U.S. CENTCOM Commander, said in a statement.
Feb 02, 6:45 PM
‘We believe that the strikes were successful’: Kirby
The Department of Defense is in the early stages of battle damage assessment “but we believe that the strikes were successful,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in a call Friday.
“The initial indications are that we hit exactly what we meant to hit, with a number of secondary explosions associated with the ammunition and logistics locations,” Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the director of the Joint Chiefs, said on the call.
Kirby said the strikes took place in the course of 30 minutes and involved over 125 precision-guided munitions. Of the seven total strike locations, three were in Iraq and four were in Syria, according to Sims.
Targeted facilities included command and control centers, intelligence centers, rocket missile and drone storage facilities, and logistics ammunition supply chain facilities, Kirby said.
Kirby noted the targets were chosen to avoid civilian casualties and because they were connected to enabling the attacks against the U.S. service members.
The administration does not know at this time if or how many militants may have been killed or wounded.
Officials would not tell ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce definitively whether there will be more strikes Friday night but said all U.S. aircraft were out of harm’s way.
Kirby said the strikes are expected to continue in the “coming days.”
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Sarah Kolinovsky and Molly Nagle
Feb 02, 5:55 PM
Iraqi border area with Syria being targeted: Iraqi military
The city of Al-Qa’im on the Iraqi border with Syria as well as other areas along the Iraqi border with Syria “are being subjected to air strikes by United States aircraft,” the spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces said in a statement.
“These strikes constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, an undermining of the efforts of the Iraqi government, and a threat that will drag Iraq and the region into unforeseen consequences, the consequences of which will be disastrous for security and stability in Iraq and the region,” the statement continued.
Feb 02, 5:40 PM
Defense Secretary Austin: 7 facilities used by groups to attack US forces were struck
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said U.S. military forces, at Biden’s direction, conducted strikes on seven facilities inside Iraq and Syria that “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militias use to attack U.S. forces.”
“This is the start of our response,” Austin said in a statement. “The President has directed additional actions to hold the IRGC and affiliated militias accountable for their attacks on U.S. and Coalition Forces. These will unfold at times and places of our choosing.”
Like Biden, Austin stressed the U.S. doesn’t seek conflict in the Middle East but attacks on U.S. troops won’t go unanswered.
“We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our forces, and our interests,” he concluded.
Feb 02, 5:39 PM
Biden says US response will continue ‘at times and places of our choosing’
President Biden, who earlier Friday attended the dignified return of the three Army reservists killed in the Jordan drone attack, signaled more action is to come.
“Our response began today,” Biden said in his first statement on the strikes in Iraq and Syria.
“This afternoon, at my direction, U.S. military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack U.S. forces,” he added. “It will continue at times and places of our choosing.”
He ended saying, “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” he continued. “But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”
Feb 02, 5:08 PM
Biden’s retaliatory strikes come with risks of escalation and political consequences: Experts
President Biden is facing a turning point in the Middle East conflict that carries significant risks of escalation and heavy election-year political consequences.
The debate inside the White House ahead of the retaliatory strikes was tense, according to a U.S. official, as the administration weighed options that some believe will send a clear message to Iran-backed proxy groups to stop the attacks and others fear could trigger broader fighting in the region.
“The choices that any administration and every administration have faced since the Iranian Revolution are fraught,” Aaron David Miller, a former State Department official, told ABC News. “They are not between good and bad policies. They’re between bad and worse policies.”
Biden’s decision making is made only more complicated by the impending election, they said. Many Republicans, including Donald Trump, have accused him of being weak in his response to Iran-backed groups and their attacks on U.S. forces.
“He’s in a politically tough spot because policy would compel him to think about this and act with a scalpel,” the Center for a New American Security’s Jonathan Lord said. “But this being an election this year, and this being probably the premier foreign policy issue Republicans are lining up to cudgel him with, he can’t let policy be the only consideration here. Politics, of course, plays a role.”
Feb 02, 4:48 PM
US strikes aimed at more than 85 targets, targeted Iran’s IRGC and militia groups: CENTCOM
In a new statement, U.S. Central Command said American forces “conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.”
“U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States,” CENTCOM said. “The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions. The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aired vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.”
According to a U.S. official, B-1 bombers were used in the retaliatory strikes.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
Feb 02, 4:17 PM
US begins retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria, officials say
Retaliatory U.S. airstrikes have begun in Syria and Iraq, U.S. officials say.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Feb 02, 3:59 PM
Correction: Initial round of strikes not from US
An initial battery of strikes in Syria did not come from the U.S., sources say. U.S. strikes are still anticipated.
Feb 02, 3:08 PM
Blinken, in coming Middle East visit, to continue work on preventing wider conflict
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East from Sunday to Thursday, making stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and the West Bank.
It will mark Blinken’s fifth visit to the region since Oct. 7.
One focus, according to the State Department, will be to continue work to prevent the conflict from spreading — a major concern as the U.S. readies retaliatory strikes — while also “reaffirming that the United States will take appropriate steps to defend its personnel and the right to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”
Feb 02, 2:30 PM
Biden attends dignified transfer ceremony for fallen troops
Biden joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to witness the return of the remains of three fallen Army reservists killed in Jordan.
He was accompanied by first lady Jill Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown.
They met with the families privately before receiving the remains, the White House said.
The Pentagon identified the fallen soldiers as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia.; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia.; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia.
Feb 02, 1:59 PM
What we know about the drone attack on US base in Jordan
The U.S. has attributed the drone attack on the American base in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias.
According to a U.S. official, the drone that successfully hit the base was an Iranian-made Shahed drone, similar to those used by the Russians on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Iran has denied involvement in the Jordan strike. But President Joe Biden earlier this week faulted Iran for providing munitions and funding to these different proxy groups.
The U.S. base is known as Tower 22, a major logistical hub for U.S. troops still in Syria on a mission to prevent a resurgence by Islamic State fighters. According to Central Command, there are approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel deployed to the base.
Feb 02, 1:45 PM
US will have a ‘multi-tiered’ response
The Biden administration has been preparing to strike back in the Middle East after three American troops were killed and dozens more wounded in a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday.
“We will have multi-tiered response, and again, we have the ability to respond a number of times depending on what the situation is,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Thursday.
The Pentagon has declined to get into specifics on when and where the strikes would take place, although Austin said the goal is to degrade the capabilities of Iran-backed militants without plunging the region into a broader war
A U.S. official familiar with the plan said the strikes will unfold across several days and hit multiple countries including Iraq, Syria and possibly Yemen.
(INDIANAPOLIS) — Indianapolis police are investigating the homicides of two women who were found slain in a similar manner near each other just days apart.
Indianapolis Interim Police Chief Christopher Bailey said they have not determined if the two deaths are connected but that there are “similarities in these two cases.”
“We’re here out of an abundance of caution to share information with the community that we can share and ask for information that will help move these investigations forward,” Bailey said at a press briefing on Friday.
The body of the first victim — Shannon Lassere — was found on Saturday, Jan. 27, on the city’s far east side, police said. The body of the second — Marianne Weis — was found five days later about 150 yards away, police said.
“Both victims either lived in or had strong connections to this area on the far east side,” Capt. Roger Spurgeon told reporters during the briefing. “Both victims were killed in a similar manner. Both victims were white females in their 50s.”
Police did not provide any details on how the women were killed or on any possible suspect or suspects in the cases.
“There’s certain pieces of the investigation that just can’t talk about right now to make sure we protect the integrity investigation,” Bailey said.
Police are working with the Indianapolis Marion County Forensic Service Agency to identify any forensic evidence from the scenes, Spurgeon said. They are also asking people in the area to review their cameras for anything suspicious or unusual.
“We don’t know if these crimes are connected at this point and that’s why we’re asking for the public’s help,” Spurgeon said. “If you have any info on these victims or know where they have been in the days before their death, we want to know. If you have cameras in the area that caught something suspicious, we want to know.”
The police department said it is increasing patrols in the area and detectives will be canvassing the neighborhood in the coming days. Bailey advised residents to be alert in the area.
“Report suspicious behavior, be with somebody and call 911 if something just doesn’t feel right or you fear for your safety,” he said.
The interim chief said they are in the early stages of the investigation and police are working to bring closure to the victims’ families.
“I can’t imagine the loss that these families feel right now when their loved ones were taken away from them in this manner and that’s why we’re here,” he said.
Lassere’s children were left reeling by their mother’s killing.
(NEW YORK) — The U.S. on Friday began to carry out strikes against Iran-backed militants and Iranian military targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a drone strike on an American base in Jordan last Sunday that killed three U.S. service members.
Dozens of other American troops were wounded in the drone attack on the Tower 22 base near Jordan’s border with Iraq and Syria. The U.S. says Iran is responsible for funding and arming the militants while Iran has denied involvement.
President Joe Biden had quickly warned that America would respond forcefully, escalating U.S. involvement in the Middle East after months of trying to contain tensions from boiling over into a broader war in the region.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 03, 2:37 PM
29 members of Iranian militias killed in strikes on Syria
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group which reports on war in Syria, confirmed that 29 members of Iranian militias were killed in airstrikes on 28 positions.
Separately, Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a state security force including Iran-backed groups, said that 16 its members were killed including fighters and medics.
Feb 03, 12:10 PM
Hezbollah condemns US strikes in Iraq, Syria
In a statement on Saturday, the Hezbollah terrorist organization strongly condemned the U.S.’s strikes on Iraq and Syria and extended its sympathies for the lives lost.
“What the United States of America did is a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the two countries, an attack on their security and territorial integrity, and a shameless violation of all international and humanitarian laws,” Hezbollah said.
“This new aggression contributes to destabilizing the region, and creating false justifications and pretexts for the continuation of the American occupation of several regions in Iraq and Syria against the will of their people who yearn for freedom and independence,” Hezbollah said.
U.S. officials said Friday that targets were chosen to avoid civilian casualties and because they were connected to enabling the attacks against American service members.
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Aras Maman
Feb 03, 12:05 PM
Jordan denies involvement in US strikes in Iraq
A Jordanian military source told the state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV that Jordan was not involved in U.S. strikes on Iraqi soil, refuting earlier allegations. However, the Jordanian statement did not mention strikes in Syrian territory.
“There is no truth to press reports regarding the participation of Jordanian aircraft in operations carried out by American aircraft inside Iraq,” the source told Al-Mamlaka TV.
“The Jordanian Armed Forces respect the sovereignty of brotherly Iraq,” the source said, confirming “the depth of the brotherly relations that unite Jordan with all Arab countries.”
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Aras Maman
Feb 03, 11:06 AM
Iraq declares 3 days of public mourning over strike deaths
The Iraqi government declared that it will have three days of public mourning over the civilians and armed forces who were killed in the U.S. strikes.
“Today, Saturday, the Prime Minister, Mr. Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, directed the declaration of general mourning in all state departments and institutions, for a period of three days, out of mercy for the souls of the martyrs of our armed forces and the civilians who died as a result of the American bombing on the areas of Akashat and Al-Qaim, west of Anbar Governorate,” the Iraqi prime minister’s office said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres
Feb 03, 6:39 AM
Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons US diplomat following strikes
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Baghdad, the Iraqi MFA said in an official statement.
“In protest against the American aggression that targeted Iraqi military and civilian sites, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon the Charge d’Affairs of the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Mr. David Perker, due to the absence of the American Ambassador, to hand him an official note of protest regarding the American attack that targeted military and civilian sites in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions yesterday evening,” the MFA statement said.
Feb 03, 6:07 AM
U.S. strikes in Iraq killed at least 16 and wounded 25: Iraqi government
U.S. strikes in Iraq killed at least 16 people and wounded 25 others, the Iraqi government confirmed in an official statement.
“The American administration committed a new aggression against the sovereignty of Iraq, as the locations of our security forces, in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions, as well as neighboring civilian places, were bombed by several American aircraft,” said the Iraqi government. “This blatant aggression led to 16 martyrs, including civilians, in addition to 25 wounded. It also caused losses and damage to residential buildings and citizens’ property.”
The Iraqi government also said the strikes would “put security in Iraq and the region on the brink of the abyss” and that they directly contradict the United States effort to “establish the required stability” in the region.
Feb 02, 10:22 PM
Video of B-1 bomber aircraft taking off to carry out airstrike: CENTCOM
The United States Central Command posted a video Friday evening showing B-1 bomber aircraft taking off from its bases in the U.S. to carry out the airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups continue to represent a direct threat to the stability of Iraq, the region, and the safety of Americans. We will continue to take action, do whatever is necessary to protect our people, and hold those responsible who threaten their safety,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, U.S. CENTCOM Commander, said in a statement.
Feb 02, 6:45 PM
‘We believe that the strikes were successful’: Kirby
The Department of Defense is in the early stages of battle damage assessment “but we believe that the strikes were successful,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in a call Friday.
“The initial indications are that we hit exactly what we meant to hit, with a number of secondary explosions associated with the ammunition and logistics locations,” Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the director of the Joint Chiefs, said on the call.
Kirby said the strikes took place in the course of 30 minutes and involved over 125 precision-guided munitions. Of the seven total strike locations, three were in Iraq and four were in Syria, according to Sims.
Targeted facilities included command and control centers, intelligence centers, rocket missile and drone storage facilities, and logistics ammunition supply chain facilities, Kirby said.
Kirby noted the targets were chosen to avoid civilian casualties and because they were connected to enabling the attacks against the U.S. service members.
The administration does not know at this time if or how many militants may have been killed or wounded.
Officials would not tell ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce definitively whether there will be more strikes Friday night but said all U.S. aircraft were out of harm’s way.
Kirby said the strikes are expected to continue in the “coming days.”
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Sarah Kolinovsky and Molly Nagle
Feb 02, 5:55 PM
Iraqi border area with Syria being targeted: Iraqi military
The city of Al-Qa’im on the Iraqi border with Syria as well as other areas along the Iraqi border with Syria “are being subjected to air strikes by United States aircraft,” the spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces said in a statement.
“These strikes constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, an undermining of the efforts of the Iraqi government, and a threat that will drag Iraq and the region into unforeseen consequences, the consequences of which will be disastrous for security and stability in Iraq and the region,” the statement continued.
Feb 02, 5:40 PM
Defense Secretary Austin: 7 facilities used by groups to attack US forces were struck
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said U.S. military forces, at Biden’s direction, conducted strikes on seven facilities inside Iraq and Syria that “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militias use to attack U.S. forces.”
“This is the start of our response,” Austin said in a statement. “The President has directed additional actions to hold the IRGC and affiliated militias accountable for their attacks on U.S. and Coalition Forces. These will unfold at times and places of our choosing.”
Like Biden, Austin stressed the U.S. doesn’t seek conflict in the Middle East but attacks on U.S. troops won’t go unanswered.
“We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our forces, and our interests,” he concluded.
Feb 02, 5:39 PM
Biden says US response will continue ‘at times and places of our choosing’
President Biden, who earlier Friday attended the dignified return of the three Army reservists killed in the Jordan drone attack, signaled more action is to come.
“Our response began today,” Biden said in his first statement on the strikes in Iraq and Syria.
“This afternoon, at my direction, U.S. military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack U.S. forces,” he added. “It will continue at times and places of our choosing.”
He ended saying, “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” he continued. “But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”
Feb 02, 5:08 PM
Biden’s retaliatory strikes come with risks of escalation and political consequences: Experts
President Biden is facing a turning point in the Middle East conflict that carries significant risks of escalation and heavy election-year political consequences.
The debate inside the White House ahead of the retaliatory strikes was tense, according to a U.S. official, as the administration weighed options that some believe will send a clear message to Iran-backed proxy groups to stop the attacks and others fear could trigger broader fighting in the region.
“The choices that any administration and every administration have faced since the Iranian Revolution are fraught,” Aaron David Miller, a former State Department official, told ABC News. “They are not between good and bad policies. They’re between bad and worse policies.”
Biden’s decision making is made only more complicated by the impending election, they said. Many Republicans, including Donald Trump, have accused him of being weak in his response to Iran-backed groups and their attacks on U.S. forces.
“He’s in a politically tough spot because policy would compel him to think about this and act with a scalpel,” the Center for a New American Security’s Jonathan Lord said. “But this being an election this year, and this being probably the premier foreign policy issue Republicans are lining up to cudgel him with, he can’t let policy be the only consideration here. Politics, of course, plays a role.”
Feb 02, 4:48 PM
US strikes aimed at more than 85 targets, targeted Iran’s IRGC and militia groups: CENTCOM
In a new statement, U.S. Central Command said American forces “conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.”
“U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States,” CENTCOM said. “The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions. The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aired vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.”
According to a U.S. official, B-1 bombers were used in the retaliatory strikes.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
Feb 02, 4:17 PM
US begins retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria, officials say
Retaliatory U.S. airstrikes have begun in Syria and Iraq, U.S. officials say.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Feb 02, 3:59 PM
Correction: Initial round of strikes not from US
An initial battery of strikes in Syria did not come from the U.S., sources say. U.S. strikes are still anticipated.
Feb 02, 3:08 PM
Blinken, in coming Middle East visit, to continue work on preventing wider conflict
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East from Sunday to Thursday, making stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and the West Bank.
It will mark Blinken’s fifth visit to the region since Oct. 7.
One focus, according to the State Department, will be to continue work to prevent the conflict from spreading — a major concern as the U.S. readies retaliatory strikes — while also “reaffirming that the United States will take appropriate steps to defend its personnel and the right to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”
Feb 02, 2:30 PM
Biden attends dignified transfer ceremony for fallen troops
Biden joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to witness the return of the remains of three fallen Army reservists killed in Jordan.
He was accompanied by first lady Jill Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown.
They met with the families privately before receiving the remains, the White House said.
The Pentagon identified the fallen soldiers as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia.; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia.; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia.
Feb 02, 1:59 PM
What we know about the drone attack on US base in Jordan
The U.S. has attributed the drone attack on the American base in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias.
According to a U.S. official, the drone that successfully hit the base was an Iranian-made Shahed drone, similar to those used by the Russians on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Iran has denied involvement in the Jordan strike. But President Joe Biden earlier this week faulted Iran for providing munitions and funding to these different proxy groups.
The U.S. base is known as Tower 22, a major logistical hub for U.S. troops still in Syria on a mission to prevent a resurgence by Islamic State fighters. According to Central Command, there are approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel deployed to the base.
Feb 02, 1:45 PM
US will have a ‘multi-tiered’ response
The Biden administration has been preparing to strike back in the Middle East after three American troops were killed and dozens more wounded in a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday.
“We will have multi-tiered response, and again, we have the ability to respond a number of times depending on what the situation is,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Thursday.
The Pentagon has declined to get into specifics on when and where the strikes would take place, although Austin said the goal is to degrade the capabilities of Iran-backed militants without plunging the region into a broader war
A U.S. official familiar with the plan said the strikes will unfold across several days and hit multiple countries including Iraq, Syria and possibly Yemen.
(CALIFORNIA) — A powerful atmospheric river storm system is expected to bring life-threatening and damaging flooding, wind, snow and waves to California this weekend.
Flood watches will be in effect starting Saturday night through Tuesday in central and southern California. Dangerous and life-threatening flooding is possible with this event, including in urban areas.
Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches will be common, with 6 to 12 inches possible across south and southwest-facing foothills and mountains. The heaviest rain is expected Sunday and Monday, with up to 1 inch per hour possible during the peak. Long durations of heavy rainfall — from three to six hours — are also forecast.
Abundant freeway flooding in high-populated areas is expected. Even the lowest projections for rainfall will be enough to produce damaging flooding, according to the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to stay off the roads on Sunday.
“We’re fortunate that much of the storm will hit Sunday when many people are home anyway,” Bass said during a press briefing late Saturday. “But when in doubt, stay home. Stay informed.”
The city will be fully staffed to prepare to respond to any water-related emergencies and has “bolstered” its air resources in anticipation of the storm, the city’s fire chief, Kristin Crowley, said at the briefing.
There will be the threat of extensive rock and mudslide activity on mountain and canyon roadways, which could cause significant travel delays and road closures.
Evacuation warnings were issued on Friday for parts of Santa Barbara County due to the incoming storm’s “potential to produce flash flooding, debris flows and landslides.” Emergency officials said residents should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, while people with disabilities and those with large animals were advised to leave.
Damaging winds will also be a big issue. Gusts between 60-80 mph are forecast on Sunday, especially in the mountains off the California coast.
Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles. Extensive wind damage is expected in mountain areas.
A high surf advisory is already in effect, lasting through Monday. Waves could reach 20 feet, peaking Sunday.
There is an increased risk of ocean drowning. Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Large breaking waves can cause injury, wash people off beaches and rocks and capsize small boats near shore.
Significant damage to roads or structures is not expected, according to the National Weather Service.
Winter storm warnings will also be in effect from Saturday evening to Tuesday in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, where very heavy snow is expected.
Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 feet are expected, with up to 5 to 6 feet at the higher mountain peaks.
Timing the storm
Rain is forecast to move in Saturday evening and continue to intensify and spread through the night.
By Sunday morning, heavy rain is expected along much of the California coast, with heavy snow in the mountains.
Late Sunday afternoon, as the Grammy Awards are underway in Los Angeles, the heaviest rain from this storm will be centered over Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Flash flooding is likely, including in urban areas, as well as damaging winds. Delays are expected at Los Angeles International Airport.
By Monday morning, the heavy rain is expected to be in the San Diego area, with flash flooding likely. The rain is forecast to continue and get lighter throughout the day.
