Shafaq News- Washington

US forces have expanded the war into Iraq, launching strikes on Iran-backed armed groups, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine revealed on Thursday.

Earlier today, two airstrikes hit a base of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-affiliated paramilitary network, in Saladin province, a security source told Shafaq News. The strikes targeted the headquarters of the 63rd Brigade, known as Camp al-Shuhada, near Tuz Khurmatu in eastern Saladin. Casualties and damage remain unclear, and no party has claimed responsibility.

Speaking to reporters, Caine said the campaign is also intensifying inside Iran, targeting missile systems, naval assets, and drone capabilities as US operations push deeper into Iranian airspace.

US forces have deployed 5,000-pound bunker-buster munitions against fortified underground sites, while aircraft are flying further east to “hunt and destroy” one-way attack drones. A-10 warplanes and AH-64 Apache helicopters are operating across southern Iran, alongside strikes on fast attack vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the escalation, Iran retains some strike capability, Caine said, adding that US forces are acting “aggressively and assertively” to degrade remaining threats. Meanwhile, Iran continued the 63rd wave of Operation True Promise 4, striking 80 targets across central and southern Israel with missiles and drones.