BEHIND THE LINES: But who exactly carried out this attack? Who is targeting US forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan?
Kanaani said the US attacks were designed "to overshadow the Zionist regime's crimes in Gaza." He did not indicate if Iran would take any action in response.
The strikes hit targets including command and control centers, rockets, missiles, and drone storage facilities, as well as logistics and munition supply chain facilities, the US military said.
US forces were waiting for the right weather conditions to conduct the strikes, Lt.-Gen. Douglas A Sims said.
While the US strikes did not target any locations inside Iran, they are likely to increase concern about tensions in the Middle East.
The US has reportedly approved plans for multi-day strikes in Iraq and Syria against multiple targets, including Iranian personnel and facilities in those countries.
Syrian state media said only material damage was caused by the airstrikes.
While the initial indications were that the drone was likely Iranian, a formal assessment was made only recently after recovering fragments of the drone.
As hardliners in Tehran demand retaliation, Iran's decision to pull out senior officers is driven partly by its aversion to being sucked directly into a conflict bubbling across the Mideast.
The question is not whether the whole Iranian proxy octopus can be dismantled, but whether Israel, the US and others will seize the initiative.