The U.S. has begun retaliatory strikes in the Middle East in response to the three U.S. service members tragically killed in a drone strike in Jordan. Lawmakers have accused Iran of orchestrating the attacks‚ but Iran has denied any involvement. U.S. Central Command announced the strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria on Friday‚ with the general sentiment being that this is simply the beginning of a new campaign. Fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East have been growing and this recent move is almost certain to trigger that conflict. Here’s what we currently know about this developing situation: The U.S. has begun airstrikes on Middle East targets from multiple platforms‚ a U.S Defense official has told Fox News.  ABC News also reported the US military had begun carrying out airstrikes a little more than an hour after the conclusion of a dignified transfer ceremony… pic.twitter.com/xD7lYbhHQF — Yasmina (@yasminalombaert) February 2‚ 2024 Middle East Observer shared this update from U.S. Central Command: “At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02‚ U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) 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. 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 aerial 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.” CENTCOM Statement on U.S. Strikes in Iraq and Syria At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02‚ U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in #Iraq and #Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. U.S. military… — Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) February 2‚ 2024 The New York Post reports: The strikes began a little more than an hour after the conclusion of a dignified transfer ceremony honoring the three soldiers at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The US strikes were preceded by a series of explosions in Syria that are not believed to have been caused by the American military. However‚ the Pentagon declined to comment on that matter. Colonel Douglass Macgregor‚ who always has some wise words‚ remarked: “Bombing is not diplomacy. Bombing is neither a strategy nor a simple exercise in virtue signaling. Bombing is an act of war. Bombing does not contain conflict‚ nor does bombing deter an opponent from future action. If anything‚ bombing escalates tension and leads to all-out war. A Great Power’s descent into a hell of its own making is never swift. As C.S. Lewis taught‚ the descent is gradual‚ plodding‚ even measured until‚ suddenly‚ a Great Power like the United States discovers it has grossly underestimated its opponent. Bullying‚ bribing‚ bombing and sanctioning opponents has not worked well. Thanks to a string of strategic military failures in Afghanistan‚ Libya‚ Iraq‚ and Ukraine Washington is rapidly reaching hell in its relations with the rest of the world.” Bombing is not diplomacy. Bombing is neither a strategy nor a simple exercise in virtue signaling. Bombing is an act of war. Bombing does not contain conflict‚ nor does bombing deter an opponent from future action. If anything‚ bombing escalates tension and leads to all-out… — Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) February 2‚ 2024 Report: U.S. begins Middle East airstrikes in response to attack that killed 3 soldiers. https://t.co/RXFSRhPOpf Click the image to read more: — FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) February 2‚ 2024 BBC News provided this statement from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin: At a news conference on Thursday‚ US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin defended the delayed military response‚ saying: “We will respond where we choose‚ when we choose and how we choose.” “I think everyone recognises the challenge associated with making sure that we hold the right people accountable‚” he said‚ adding that there is no “set formula for doing this”.

The death of Wayne Kramer was confirmed in a short message posted on his social media accounts

In a surprising increase‚ the U.S. economy added an influx of new career positions even though unemployment rates have stayed steady. 

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has now confirmed allegations that she has a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

Carl Weathers‚ an actor known for playing Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films and who appeared in Predator‚ The Mandalorian‚ Happy Gilmore‚ has died at the age of 76. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‚ an independent 2024 presidential candidate‚ came out with a statement on Thursday explaining that a resurfaced comment on a woman's TikTok account was posted by his presidential campaign's social media manager.