US drops 125 bombs on 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards in devastating airstrikes on Iraq and Syria: Biden warns retaliation for drone strikes that killed three soldiers will continue after long-range bombers and drones strike the Middle East have hit

The US has launched a devastating wave of airstrikes against Iran's Revolutionary Guards in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the drone strike that killed three US troops.

Multiple long-range bombers and drones hit 85 targets with 125 bombs during the widespread military operation ordered by President Joe Biden on Friday.

The president said the attacks will continue “at times and places of his choosing” and warned militias in the Middle East: “If you harm an American, we will respond.”

Two two B-1 bombers flew from the US for the mission and hit multiple targets linked to the IRGC and Iranian-backed militias, including command and intelligence centers and areas where missiles and drones were stored.

Shocking images from Al-Qaim, an Iraqi border town, showed rockets flying from a munitions factory believed to have been hit by US bombers at midnight local time.

The massive operation is the first by the US to hit back after the deadly attack by Iranian-backed militias on the Tower 22 base near Jordan's borders with Syria and Iraq on Sunday.

Sergeant William Jerome Rivers, 46, Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, and Specialist Breonna Moffett, 23, were killed and dozens of troops were injured in the attack that raised further tensions in the Middle East.

President Joe Biden ordered the attacks just hours after attending the dignified transfer ceremony for their remains at Dover Air Force Base.

He held his hand over his heart as he watched their flag-draped coffins being carried across the tarmac after returning to their home turf.

Shortly after the solemn ceremony ended, he authorized the massive response he had been threatening for days.

“Last Sunday, three American soldiers were killed in Jordan by a drone launched by militant groups backed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),” Biden said on Friday.

“Earlier today I attended the dignified return of these brave Americans to Dover Air Force Base and spoke with each of their families.

“This afternoon, at my direction, U.S. forces targeted facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militias use to attack U.S. forces.

“Our response started today. It will take place at times and places of your choice. The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world.

“But let anyone who wants to harm us know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”

It is unclear what the next steps will be and when they will occur, or whether the days of U.S. warnings have caused militia members to disperse and go into hiding.

But the recent statement by Kataeb Hezbollah, one of the main Iranian-backed militias, suspending attacks on US forces did not affect the government's plans to retaliate.

National Security Council John Kirby said the response to the deadly drone attack will be “layered” and “potentially include multiple actions over time.”

Shocking footage from Al-Qaim, an Iraqi border town, showed rockets flying from a munitions factory believed to have been hit by US bombers at midnight local time

Sergeant William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia (left) and Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, were killed in the drone strike on a US air base in Jordan

Specialist Breonna Moffett, 23, from Savannah, Georgia, has been identified as one of the soldiers killed in the drone strike

“At 4:00 p.m. EST on February 2, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militias,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement declaration. .

“US forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft, including long-range bombers, flown from the United States.

'The air strikes used more than 125 precision munitions.

“The facilities affected included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles, and unmanned vehicle warehouses, and logistics and munitions supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors that facilitated attacks on U.S. and coalition forces. .'

The attacks come almost a week after Iran-backed militias attacked the Tower 22 base near Jordan's borders with Syria and Iraq.