Secretary of State Pompeo on US attack against pro-Iranian forces in Syria and Iraq: "This is defensive action; aim - to deter Iran" • Netanyahu: "Important action" • Zarif: "They are waging war"

• Ruins of Hizbullah Iraq headquarters. Iran will respond? // Photo: Reuters

US lethal attack against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday increases literal tensions between Washington and Tehran. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has insisted that with regard to conducting Iran, President Trump has been "really patient" so far .

US officials told Reuters last night that the US was preparing for a possible reaction from the pro-Iranian militia. "In my estimation, they will respond," a US military official said.

"It was a defensive activity designed to keep American forces and American civilians in Iraq," Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News. "It was also intended to deter Iran. His landing hit on an American basis. "

Documentation: The US attack on the Shiite militia last night

The Pentagon said the "exact defense attack" was carried out against five sites of the "Khatib Hizbullah", Hezbollah's regiments in Iraq and Syria. The militia last week launched a missile attack in which an American contractor was killed. "The organization has close ties to Iranian al-Quds forces, and it has received assistance from Iran to attack the coalition forces," the US Department of Defense stressed. Some 27 were reportedly killed as a result of the attack, including four senior militia commanders.

PM Netanyahu spoke with Pompeo yesterday about the attack, congratulating him on "the US's important action against Iran and its region's senders," according to the Prime Minister's Office's statement.

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President Trump's special envoy to Iran's affairs, Brian Hook, told Sky Network in Arabic that the US attack was meant to broadcast to Iran that the United States is not ready to move to the agenda when its forces are attacked. " Hawk emphasized that the US will continue to impose severe sanctions on Iran in 2020 as well.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Moscow yesterday with his Iranian counterpart, Muhammad Jawad Zarif. At the end of the meeting, Zarif tweeted that the talks were fruitful and that "unlike others who are trying to sniff out seemingly thousands of miles from their borders, Iran and Russia are cooperating for peace in Syria and presenting important ideas for peace in the Persian Gulf."

Lavrov referred to US policy toward Iran following the resumption of sanctions on the Islamic Republic, saying: "US policy risks diplomatic achievements with Iran." The Russian foreign ministry criticized the US attack on Tuesday, saying it was "unacceptable and unhelpful."