Hamas Attacks Israel; Iran-Backed Proxies Launch Over 200 Strikes on US Troops

Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel — which Iran supported — triggers a wave of over 200 attacks by Iran-backed proxy forces on US military bases across Iraq and Syria, marking a dramatic escalation.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a massive cross-border assault on Israel from Gaza, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and taking 250 hostages — the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Iran, which has long backed Hamas financially and militarily, publicly praised the attack. In the weeks that followed, Iran-backed proxy forces — including Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces and various Syrian militia groups — launched over 200 attacks on US military installations across Iraq and Syria, wounding scores of American personnel. The Biden administration responded with targeted strikes on Iranian-linked infrastructure and a series of diplomatic warnings. The conflict dramatically reshaped the Middle Eastern security landscape and set the stage for a direct US-Iran military confrontation.