The United States on Monday said it targeted Iranian-backed militants in Iraq and Syria on Sunday.

According to the Pentagon, the attacks were a “defensive” action and a response to recent drone strikes by the militants on US bases in Iraq.

The Pentagon said that the US warplanes targeted “operational and weapons storage facilities” and militant bases in two areas of Syria and one in Iraq.

The slums and bases reportedly belonged to Hezbollah’s group and the Sayyid al-Shuhada group, both of which are made up of Shiite militias in Iraq and also support the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

The statement went on to warn that Sunday night’s attacks showed that US President Joe Biden has no hesitation in defending US staff.

“Given the continuing attacks by Iranian-backed groups on US interests in Iraq, the president has ordered more military action to thwart and prevent such attacks,” the Pentagon statement concluded.

A day ago, three bombs had been fired at an area near the US consulate in Erbil, Iraq. During that attack, two drones damaged a house after hitting it, while the third drone did not work properly.

The incident prompted a backlash from the US consulate, which condemned it as a “clear violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”