On December 29, the United States launched airstrikes on five sites in Iraq and Syria controlled by Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed paramilitary group. According to Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman, the targets “included weapon storage facilities and command and control locations that KH uses to plan and execute attacks on OIR coalition forces.” The U.S. strikes follow a 30-plus rocket attack on Iraq’s K-1 base near Kirkuk that killed one American citizen and injured four U.S. service members and two Iraqi soldiers.