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US position in Iraq in jeopardy after strikes

American strikes inside Iraq after the Pentagon alleged an Iran-backed group attacked US forces there have caused more political turmoil for some 5,000 US troops sent to the country to fight the Islamic State.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks about airstrikes by the U.S. military in Iraq and Syria, at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 29, 2019.  REUTERS/Tom Brenner - RC2C5E95ZX9Q

Senior Donald Trump administration officials insisted today that a series of strikes into Iraq and Syria were a defensive measure taken after a suspected Iran-backed attack this weekend killed an American contractor and wounded several US troops.

“We are not looking for any conflict in the Middle East,” the senior State Department official told reporters on Monday. “But we are not going to let Iran get away with using a proxy force to attack American interests.”

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