We've been getting reports that the US has carried out air strikes in Iraq and Syria it's in response to Sunday's drone attack on a US military base that killed three soldiers let's go straight to our senior International correspondent Olan who's in Northern Iraq tonight Ola what do we know well America's retaliation is Underway Jane we know that 85 targets have been struck in Syria and here in Iraq American bombers have been flying long range missions from the United States which hold that they have targeted command and control centers associated with Iran's revolutionary guards and with Allied Iranian militias Now the region has been on a countdown Jane since last Sunday since those American troops were killed President Biden has been trying if you like to square a circle to come up with a response that is strong enough to satisfy public opinion in the United States in an election year strong enough To satisfy Republican pressure but not so strong that it triggers a much harsher reaction from Iran or from any of these proxy militias now that is a very difficult balance to strike we don't yet have any reports about the casualties the numbers of people killed or the damage that has been inflicted by These strikes tonight the Americans have said it will be a multi-tiered response it could be several locations over several days we've been told that the first thing we see will not be the last thing we see so this action will continue and the US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin has said there is a way to manage this so that things do not escalate out of control well now we will see if that is actually the case the Middle East is a tinder box at the moment this is a new and dangerous moment but the Iranian leader himself uh Ibrahim RI said today that Iran did not want to start a war but that if anybody tried to pressure it or bully it there would be a strong response so white house and Tran saying the same thing they don't want a major escalation but it's unclear if the situation will be contained