Middle East
Israel has carried out what a military source tells Fox News was a “limited” air strike in Iran in retaliation for last week’s unsuccessful drone and missile attack on the Jewish state.
There’s been no official word from Israel, nor from the White House on the overnight strike, though sources say Israel notified the U.S. about it ahead of time and U.S. forces were not involved. Reuters reports that Tehran is playing down the strike, and indicated it has no plans for further retaliation at this time.
The strikes took place early Friday local time in Iran’s Isfahan province, which houses Natanz, one of the country’s nuclear facilities. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency says the nuclear site did not suffer any damage.
Air defense can be seen over Isfahan, Iran, shortly after a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News Israeli missiles have hit a site in Iran.
Follow live updates: https://t.co/fBvm6QbVwk pic.twitter.com/jFXzJlDrry
— ABC News (@ABC) April 19, 2024
The map above says it all. Thousands of American troops are stationed in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, as well as in several more countries throughout the Middle East. As we all witnessed while Iran’s attack unfolded last week, the U.S. military is not a neutral observer when missiles and drones are flying overhead.
According to U.S. Central Command, American forces destroyed “more than 80” Iranian drones and six ballistic missiles aimed at Israel. Accomplishing this feat required enormous skill and many years of training, and we thank our country’s brave men and women in uniform for protecting Israel, which – as Timothy Furnish wrote on The Stream afterward – is unquestionably the good guy in this fight.
Until Iran and Israel stop exchanging fire, U.S. troops in the Middle East must maintain a high state of alert, especially while continuing to conduct humanitarian missions in Gaza, where Israel is battling the Hamas terrorist group.
April 16 Red Sea Update
Between 10:50 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on April 16, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully engaged two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen.
There were no injuries or damage… pic.twitter.com/ImF90fhFAp— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 16, 2024
Iran’s ominous footprint extends to the Red Sea, where another terrorist group it funds and supports – the Houthis – has been launching attacks against U.S. military and commercial ships since the war in Gaza began.
On Tuesday, U.S. Central Command said it destroyed “two unmanned aerial vehicles in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen.” The U.S. military also took out four additional Houthi drones over the weekend after a ballistic missile was launched toward the Gulf of Aden.
The threat Iran and its terrorist proxy groups pose is real and serious. Every day, thousands of American service members wake up thousands of miles away from their families to confront evil and defend the innocent. We are grateful for their valiant service and pray for their swift and safe return.
Europe
A troubling story began to emerge from Germany on Thursday: Two men have been arrested for allegedly gathering information to be used in attacks against U.S. military bases inside the country.
NBC News reports that “two Russian-German nationals” are accused of spying for Russia and “carrying out ‘activity for sabotage purposes’ and for obtaining ‘security-threatening depictions of military installations.’” The two suspects were believed to have been working directly with a Russian secret service agent in an effort to undermine Western support for Ukraine. A Kremlin spokesman declined to comment on the arrests.
More than 35,000 U.S. troops are stationed in at least 40 military installations in Germany, with another 65,000 serving in other countries across Europe.
Coming Home
A group of 29 soldiers is back on American soil after spending the last nine months deployed to the Middle East. The soldiers served in Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.
The photo below shows an emotional reunion between a returning hero and her mom, who drove 14 hours to Virginia from Mississippi to embrace her daughter.
A soldier shares an emotional moment with her mom during a welcome-home ceremony at the Family Life Center at Fort Gregg-Adams in Virginia on April 12, 2024.
Welcome home, warriors! Thank you for helping to keep America and the world safe. We hope you enjoy some well-deserved time off with your loved ones.
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is the author of the forthcoming I Have Your Back, the recently released Be Bold, and coauthor of Three Wise Men, Brothers Forever, 8 Seconds of Courage and Fire in My Eyes. Follow him on X @TSileo and The Stream at @Streamdotorg.