US Apaches Strike Iranian-Backed Militias in Iraq as A-10s Hunt Fast Boats in Hormuz

Apache Helicopters Conduct Strikes on Iranian-Backed Militias in Iraq

U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters are conducting strikes against Iranian-aligned militia groups in Iraq, according to Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Speaking at a Pentagon news conference Thursday, Caine said the operations are intended to suppress threats to U.S. forces and American interests in the country.

“In Iraq, AH-64s have been striking against Iranian-aligned militia groups to make sure that we suppress any threat in Iraq against us, forces, or U.S. interests,” Caine stated.

He did not provide details on the number of combat missions flown since the launch of U.S. operations against Iran on Feb. 28, nor did he identify specific militia groups targeted.

Operation Epic Fury Expands Regional Conflict

The strikes in Iraq are part of a broader U.S. campaign against Iran known as Operation Epic Fury. Since the operation began, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has faced repeated drone and missile attacks. In a statement Tuesday, the embassy said Iranian-backed militias have “encouraged and conducted widespread attacks on U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq,” including assaults on Baghdad’s international zone.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have spanned decades and intensified following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The Defense Department estimates that Iranian-backed militias were responsible for the deaths of more than 600 U.S. troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.

Hostilities have persisted during the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State, launched in 2014. American forces have engaged militia groups supported by Iran, including Kata’ib Hezbollah and Harakat-al-Nujaba, and have conducted airstrikes against facilities linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

After Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq—a network of Iranian-backed factions—began targeting U.S. forces in the region. The group claimed responsibility for a January 2024 drone strike on a U.S. outpost in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.

A-10 Aircraft Target Fast Attack Craft in Strait of Hormuz

Caine also announced that the Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft are engaged in operations aimed at preventing Iran from disrupting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic waterway handles roughly 20 percent of global oil shipments.

“The A-10 Warthog is now in the fight across the southern flank and is hunting and killing fast attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz,” Caine said.

U.S. officials had expressed concern that Iran might deploy sea mines to impede tanker traffic. As of Thursday, U.S. forces had destroyed 44 Iranian vessels assessed to be used for laying mines, according to Caine.

A-10 Role Expands Amid Retirement Debate

The A-10, traditionally used for close air support missions, has played a prominent role in ground combat operations. Earlier this year, A-10s conducted airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria following the December killings of two Iowa National Guard soldiers and a civilian translator.

Despite repeated Air Force efforts to retire the aircraft, Congress has directed the service to maintain 103 A-10s through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, ensuring the platform remains operational amid expanding regional missions.