the need to launch these prevented the need to launch these specific strikes, and we see too right across that region, whether it was there in syria but we've also seen some of those attacks by houthi rebels on shipping in the red sea, that affecting things right around the world when it comes to things like global trade, so it feels they've been pushed to a point where they've been pushed to a point where they have had to act in the not least of course by that targeting of the base that killed those three us servicemen on sunday.— the base that killed those three us servicemen on sunday. yeah, this is alwa s the servicemen on sunday. yeah, this is always the calculation _ servicemen on sunday. yeah, this is always the calculation about - always the calculation about deterrent, isn't it, how hard do you strike to try to scare your adversary into not attacking you but not to the degree that you angered them so much they definitely will attack you? that balance is obviously very hard to strike. i think that the point is we have heard a lot over recent weeks and months about the us's objective in the middle east is to prevent the war in gaza are escalating and spilling out into the wider middle

east and of course it's absolutely right, but there is another part of that and the other part is another part of that and the other parties the us policy on israel and gaza has been to continue to provide a diplomatic and political shield to israel's action in gaza, despite the fact that over a long period of time we've seen that very, very severely escalating number of civilian deaths, civilians being killed by israeli action in gaza. that has angered the arab and muslim world and created therefore the political space for these militias allied to iran, not necessarily under their direct day—to—day control, to use that moment to try and build their base of popular support by attacking israel's allies in the region, namely the us and others, and so these two things have become entirely connected and one of the objectives will be from the sort of

tehran world view is if the us interests are being attacked in the region, firstly that fulfils one long—term objective which is to try to make them leave, but the other one is that is in this context it will add to the pressure that the us puts on israel to wind this thing up, to try and bring it to a close in gaza and possibly accept a higher price for a deal with hamas, so you are seeing these iran allied groups effectively acting as a sort of network in the region against both israel and also its key ally, the united states, and that's why the biggest way out of all of this for president biden is that there is a ceasefire for hostage release deal between israel and hamas, that's why antony blinken the secretary of state will begin the region, flying out from the us on sunday, to try and push arab leaders and then the israelis to try and conclude a deal.

tom, stay with us, for now, thank you, tom batemanjoining us live from washington. let's talk to our senior international correspondent, orla guerin, whojoins us from a bill in iraq. we knew these strikes were coming, we had few details what they would look like when they would begin but what is your assessment of what the us may be targeting tonight? what the us may be targeting toniaht? ~ ., what the us may be targeting toniaht? ~ . ., ., what the us may be targeting toni. ht? . ., ., ., ., tonight? what we are not dealing with tonight _ tonight? what we are not dealing with tonight is _ tonight? what we are not dealing with tonight is the _ tonight? what we are not dealing with tonight is the element - tonight? what we are not dealing with tonight is the element of. with tonight is the element of surprise. this has been very well telegraphed. in fact, there's been a countdown going on since last sunday, since the killing of those three american service personnel in that drone strike injordan. the only confirmation we've had so far this evening is from two us officials who have spoken to our broadcasting partner cbs to say that the american action is under way. we had a lot of unconfirmed reports flying around on social media and also on militia, iranian militia

channels, to say that various targets have been struck, but nothing is confirmed so far. i think the important thing about this is the important thing about this is the very fine balance that washington is attempting with this operation. it needs to have a strong response, strongly enough to satisfy american public opinion after the killing of three soldiers, strong enough to satisfy republican pressure in an election year, but not so strong that it triggers an escalating response from the other side, from the iranians backed militias, or indeed from iran itself. now, the messaging from both iran and washington in the last few days has been pretty consistent. both sides are saying the same thing. we don't want an escalation, we don't want a wider war. the us secretary of defence lloyd austin has said there is a way to manage things, in his phrase, so that things, in his phrase, so that things don't escalate further out of control. well, now we will think if washington has come up with a

formula, been able to find a formula, been able to find a formula, to deliver its response but not to escalate things, not to make a bad situation even worse. that not to escalate things, not to make a bad situation even worse.- a bad situation even worse. that is the very difficult _ a bad situation even worse. that is the very difficult balancing - a bad situation even worse. that is the very difficult balancing act - the very difficult balancing act that both sides have to play here, how do you do that, how do you send that message and the deterrent whilst not tipping this into a wider conflict and it's entirely possible, isn't it, that that could happen by accident. both sides may say they don't want that but if air strikes have begun as we are told they have tonight, it's possible this is a worrying new chapter in this conflict. ., �* , worrying new chapter in this conflict. . �*, ., worrying new chapter in this conflict. . �*, . ., conflict. that's always the risk and its a greater— conflict. that's always the risk and its a greater danger _ conflict. that's always the risk and its a greater danger now _ conflict. that's always the risk and its a greater danger now than - its a greater danger now than perhaps it has been for many years. you remember the us secretary of state antony blinken said this week this is the most dangerous time in the middle east since the 1973 arab israeli wars. many people would agree with that. we are in a new moment of uncertainty with conflict spilling out in many different directions. we have the iranians backed militias here in iraq and in

syria who are targeting us forces. we have iranians backed his hezbollah trailing fire, we have the iranian backed houthis in yemen who are paralysing global shipping with attacks in the red sea and of course we have israel's ongoing assault on gaza and the devastating death toll among palestinian civilians. the region really is a tinderbox right now, so every step is to be very carefully measured, and however carefully measured, and however careful president biden and his defence officials may be in selecting targets, there is the risk that something goes wrong and the americans have said the first thing we see will not be the last thing we see. in other words, this will be a multitiered response, it could take place over several days in several different locations, so we are just at the start of something now, and we don't know how far this retaliation is going to go. the americans may be trying not to escalate too far, but things can achieve a momentum of their own.

what we are told is that these will be very specific strikes, one assumes and it is just that, an assumption at this stage, that they would be targeting things like bases, weapons stores, training depots, preventing those militia having the capability of being able to strike us interests, but they have been doing that already. i'm looking at the latest number. militias launching 170 attacks on us bases since october the 7th and it's a question i put tom bateman but there's been a lot of criticism that president biden wasn't more decisive in his action much earlier and it might have prevented is getting to this stage. is that fair assessment? well, i think certainly the americans have hit all those kinds of targets before, what you've been speaking about, the weapons stores, the weapons dumps, the training places, the safe houses, all of those locations have been hit before. the americans have been

striking back in december and in january on locations of that kind associated with these iranian backed militia. now, it hasn't stopped the attacks in the same way that the response against the houthis and the red sea has not stopped their attacks. the difficulty for america now is to come up with a different type of targets, may be more senior officials rather than just trying to hit these bases, but what we have to bearin hit these bases, but what we have to bear in mind is this has been heavily telegraphed. senior iranian militia leaders or figures who support iran will not simply have been sitting at their bases in the last few days waiting for the americans to come and strike. in fact, there was a lot of speculation on social media today in baghdad that prominent figures, iranians backed figures and various militias, had left their offices and their known locations in baghdad in recent days, because they weren't going to sit around and wait and be hit, so there is no element of surprise in this, and it will take tonight and

maybe into the next few days before we see whether america has managed to hit a different kind of target, what the response from iran is, and whether or not we are into a new moment of escalation, or whether things will stop at this for now. yeah, iran, as we should be very clear, has denied any involvement here. it says the accusations from the us are baseless, saying its not involved in the decision—making of resistance groups and die that it's referring to these malicious are, we understand, trained, equipped and funded by the revolutionary guard corps. there is a problem here, a distinction i guess between those movements in the region that i directly linked to iran, i'm thinking the houthis, hamas, hezbollah, and the separate, may be disparate groups that iran says we do not direct their actions, what they do is up to them and therefore it's not fair to blame us for the

strikes that they have carried out, particularly those just this week that killed those three us servicemen.— that killed those three us servicemen. ~ . ., ., , servicemen. well, iran maintains that it doesn't _ servicemen. well, iran maintains that it doesn't direct _ servicemen. well, iran maintains that it doesn't direct any - servicemen. well, iran maintains that it doesn't direct any of- servicemen. well, iran maintains that it doesn't direct any of the l that it doesn't direct any of the members of what it calls the axis of resistance, so we are talking about hamas in gaza, hezbollah in lebanon, the houthis in yemen and of course this array of iranian—backed militias which operate here in iraq and also in syria, so tehran�*s stances we don't tell them what to do, we support them, we agree with the broad objectives, and of course we know that the iranians are arming and training these groups, but they claim they are not issuing orders and saying, strike this target and strike that target and that may well be true. the group that has been blamed for carrying out the attack that killed the three americans last sunday has said it did not take its orders from tehran, for what that is worth, and the americans have said, we can't take statements from these groups at face value. but the iranians are certainly trying to

maintain a degree of distance, a degree of deniability, but undoubtedly they've cultivated and trained and organised these proxy groups across the middle east across recent years to expand their influence and that's not something they will easily want to give up in any way. they will easily want to give up in an wa . ~ �* , they will easily want to give up in an wa .~ �* , they will easily want to give up in an wa. �* , ., any way. we'll be back with our correspondent _ any way. we'll be back with our correspondent orla _ any way. we'll be back with our correspondent orla guerin - any way. we'll be back with our correspondent orla guerin in i correspondent orla guerin in northern iraq in a moment but if you'rejustjoining as i want to bring you the latest on what we know is happening so far, confirmation that strikes, us military strikes, have begun against targets in iraq and syria. confirmation coming to us from the pentagon. we have a statement from the pentagon saying that it has conducted air strikes in iraq and syria against iran's islamic resolution regards —— revolutionary regards. they say they are a targeting affiliated groups. they say the us military has struck 85 targets, they say numerous

aircraft including long—range bombers had flown from the united states. they say they employed more than 125 precision munitions, facilities they say were struck included command and control operations, centres, intelligence centres, rockets and missiles and unmanned air vehicle storages, they say, but also some of the facilities regarding logistics and munitions supply. they say those are the facilities that have been struck in these first strikes, so the pentagon confirming more than 85 targets with numerous aircraft flown there taking part in those strikes. so, confirmation coming to us as you can see on the screen that those air strikes have begun. a reminder of course in retaliation for the further strikes against us interests we've been reporting today, just the

repatriation ceremony of the bodies of three us servicemen who were killed on sunday at a us air force base. we also know too that iran has denied any involvement in this. they say it is not their responsibility. president biden opting not to strike directly within inside iran or on iranian soil, but choosing instead these targets around the region in both syria and iraq. let's get the thoughts now of esther brimmer, former us assistant secretary of state for international organisation affairs and we are grateful you are with us on the programme tonight. we've been discussing a little earlier about what these strikes may look like. we are now starting to get details. the pentagon saying they have hit 85 targets. indeed. president biden _ they have hit 85 targets. indeed. president biden had _ they have hit 85 targets. indeed. president biden had said - they have hit 85 targets. indeed. president biden had said he - they have hit 85 targets. indeed. | president biden had said he would retaliate for this action at a time

of his own choosing and possibly multiple sites. of course, we're just hearing what the information is so we cannot go too far, but we do understand there are multiple sites which is consistent with the strong statement the president said he to send. �* , ., , . send. and given your experience in how these things _ send. and given your experience in how these things may _ send. and given your experience in how these things may play - send. and given your experience in how these things may play out - send. and given your experience in how these things may play out in i send. and given your experience in i how these things may play out in the early days it's clear we don't have all the details about exactly what has gone on and we are just reporting the details we are getting from the pentagon but saying 85 targets. we were discussing what those targets may be, we are starting to get details, including command and control operation centres, intelligence centres, rockets, unmanned vehicles. those are the things we got a sense would be targeted to prevent those militia being able to strike back at us interests and us forces, one assumes, given that they have flown there in long—range bombers from the united states. there in long-range bombers from the united states-— there in long-range bombers from the united states— there in long-range bombers from the united states-—

united states. indeed, as you indicate, would _ united states. indeed, as you indicate, would be _ united states. indeed, as you indicate, would be to - united states. indeed, as you| indicate, would be to retaliate united states. indeed, as you - indicate, would be to retaliate for previous actions and to make it less possible for further action by those forces. i think it's important to note that there were those who called for a direct attack on iran. the administration clearly thought it much wiser in the long run to actually act on other sites and i think it's calibrated about the choice of location but of course we are just getting the news in and will have a better sense when we have more information but again it's noting where and the number of sites being consistent with what the administration will be part of their response thus why our correspondent who was in northern iraq telling us that this is a really fine balancing act. �* , that this is a really fine balancing act. �*, . , that this is a really fine balancing act. , ., act. it's about sending that message of deterrence. _ act. it's about sending that message of deterrence, sending _ act. it's about sending that message of deterrence, sending that - act. it's about sending that message| of deterrence, sending that message about not messing with the united states and not striking its interests, but at the same time will have a very keen eye on not wanting

to escalate what is already a very fragile security situation in that region. fragile security situation in that re . ion. fragile security situation in that reuion. �* , , ., region. indeed. any time when you use military — region. indeed. any time when you use military force _ region. indeed. any time when you use military force there _ region. indeed. any time when you use military force there are - use military force there are multiple factors to consider, you have to balance both the strategic choices and diplomatic implications. stay with us, i want to remind people who may be tuning in at this hour, we are starting to get further details, you can see there on the screen, details coming into is that the us military saying it's now struck more than 85 targets, numerous aircraft including long—range bombers were flown from the united states. it's worth saying at this stage the bbc life page is “p at this stage the bbc life page is up and running on the bbc website so if you are away from the television you can get the latest details there, we will keep you up—to—date here. i want to bring you a few more details from the pentagon statement we've had in the last few minutes. the pentagon telling us that, yes, it struck 85 targets, particularly

us forces striking in iraq and syria against iran's islamic revolutionary guard corps. they say the facilities struck include command and control operation centres, intelligence centres, rockets, missiles, unmanned vehicles, logistics and munitions supply chain facilities and they say that they have struck anyone who has facilitated attacks against us and coalition forces, so those just the very latest details we are getting and now, the 85 targets that have been hit. we had details earlier in the wake of course, this in response to that latest strike against us interests including the death of three us service personnel, there had been pressure on president biden to strike directly on iranian soil. the us defence secretary lloyd austin saying that there was a delayed military response, it didn't happen immediately. the timing perhaps related to the fact that the bodies of those three service men now repatriated to the united

states. lloyd austin, the us defence secretary, saying we will respond where we choose, when we choose and how we choose. it seems tonight they have done that, details coming to us saying that more than 85 targets have been hit. we are also getting details, you saw on the screen, syrian state media saying that a number of sites in syria's desert areas and the syrian and iraqi border areas have resulted in number of casualties and injuries, so we are starting to get details at this stage, very few, it has to be said, about what has gone so far tonight, but syrian state media reporting there have been casualties. the us defence secretary saying earlier in the week that the weather could be a key factor in the timing of these strikes to make sure that they could minimise any civilian casualties as a result of the strikes that they would launch. so that statement coming to us from the pentagon. we'll see whether we get any further response from both the white house

andindeed response from both the white house and indeed elsewhere right around the world because the us tonight telling as it's begun to strike those targets. so, let's speak to leon emirali, can political commentator, former ministerial aide to the environment secretary steve barclay. we've been discussing about the potential for these strikes to begin, we are starting to get details that they have begun. there will be a lot of nervousness behind—the—scenes, this watched very closely in downing street and other world capitals, about what this does to an already fragile situation in the middle east.— to an already fragile situation in the middle east. . , the middle east. yeah, there will be a lot of tension _ the middle east. yeah, there will be a lot of tension in _ the middle east. yeah, there will be a lot of tension in those _ the middle east. yeah, there will be a lot of tension in those capital- a lot of tension in those capital cities around the western world and indeed the middle east right now. i think that the timing of this, the fact it has taken five days since those three military personnel were killed, ithink those three military personnel were killed, i think shows this has been a considered response byjoe biden and the american administration. i'm

sure there would have been discussions with allies in the west, informing them of the plans, letting them knowjust how far they informing them of the plans, letting them know just how far they were going to retaliate. it obviously looks as though there hasn't been strikes inside iran, which would have been a very significant escalation in this conflict. it hasn't gone that far stop but the question is also, what happens next? because if is this a single isolated strike of those 85 sites, or is this going to be a more sustained campaign of those key targets in iraq and syria over the coming weeks and potentially months? if it is the latter, then there are going to be a number of questions about the role of international allies in this, if it becomes a broader conflict led by the american government. or if it's simply an isolated strike then i think the western capitals can breeze fairly tightly in that this isn't going to necessarily escalate on their accord. the other question will be, what are the iranians going

to do? they have said they have nothing to do with the attacks by the militia, so they are saying it's nothing to do with them. what does that mean for their retaliation now on the back of these strikes? probably more questions than answers at this stage but all eyes will be on washington, all eyes will be on tehran, to see exactly what happens in the coming hours and days. star; in the coming hours and days. stay with us, in the coming hours and days. stay with us. thank— in the coming hours and days. stay with us, thank you _ in the coming hours and days. stay with us, thank you for now. i want to bring in lord kim darroch, a former british ambassador to the united states and former uk national security advisor. thank you for being with us. you were talking with me a little earlier before we had confirmation that these strikes had begun. now we have the details, us central command saying it struck more than 85 targets. we didn't know when or how these strikes would begin, but tonight it seems this the night. begin, but tonight it seems this the niuht. , . , begin, but tonight it seems this the niuht. , . ., begin, but tonight it seems this the niht. , ., , ., ., night. yes, it was always going to ha en night. yes, it was always going to happen and _ night. yes, it was always going to happen and is _ night. yes, it was always going to happen and is has _ night. yes, it was always going to happen and is hasjust _ night. yes, it was always going to happen and is hasjust been -

night. yes, it was always going to happen and is hasjust been said. night. yes, it was always going to i happen and is hasjust been said the happen and is has just been said the fact it's taken five days since the attack on the american installation, the three american service men deaths, indicates quite a lot of thought has gone into the calibration of this action and they've gone for militia sites and installations in syria and iraq, so they've not attacked the iranian homeland, but 85 strikes is quite a lot. but if i read the news reports correctly, then there is more to come over the next couple of days, so it is a substantial response but it's not absolutely the maximum response. it's not an escalation in the way that an attack on bases in iran would have been. kim darroch, is there such _ iran would have been. kim darroch, is there such a _ iran would have been. kim darroch, is there such a thing _ iran would have been. kim darroch, is there such a thing as _ iran would have been. kim darroch, is there such a thing as a _ iran would have been. kim darroch, is there such a thing as a precision l is there such a thing as a precision strike at a time like this best among you might understand that the us would want to go in, take out these targets, and then remove itself from those locations, but given the nervousness, given what

we've already heard from iran denying any involvement, it's already promised a very consequential response, so whilst both sides may say they don't want to escalate things it is a significant escalation tonight. well, in a way it is but, yes, with precision weapons, a precision strike is possible. given the amount of time that has elapsed you could argue that if the iranians were worried about casualties amongst the people on this bases that they had an opportunity to evacuate them, and it is as i say, still different from attacks on the iranian homeland. but there will be casualties and is unpredictable how iran will respond to this. i think so far, while tension has mounted in the whole region in the wake of the 7th of

october hamas attack and the israeli response, iraq iran has looked as if it doesn't want serious escalation in it. they will look at it case—by—case and decision by decision and event by event and so it is possible. my guess will be they will still, there might be some sort of iranian response but they will try and keep it calibrated where it doesn't look like a big escalation. but you can't know for sure, so it's dangerous times. i5 escalation. but you can't know for sure, so it's dangerous times. is it ossible sure, so it's dangerous times. is it possible that _ sure, so it's dangerous times. is it possible that not _ sure, so it's dangerous times. is it possible that not responding was an option? possible that not responding was an 0 tion? ., ., possible that not responding was an otion? ., ., , , , . option? no, not responsible even at normal times- _ option? no, not responsible even at normal times. this _ option? no, not responsible even at normal times. this is _ option? no, not responsible even at normal times. this is an _ option? no, not responsible even at normal times. this is an election - normal times. this is an election yearin normal times. this is an election year in america and you have a republican accusations that biden is soft on these issues, so a response was absolutely inevitable, a certainty, i always felt that from the moment the news of the american casualties had broken. haifa

the moment the news of the american casualties had broken.— casualties had broken. how will downin: casualties had broken. how will downing street _ casualties had broken. how will downing street be _ casualties had broken. how will downing street be looking - casualties had broken. how will downing street be looking at i casualties had broken. how will i downing street be looking at this tonight? we heard there about perhaps a bit of nervousness, they'll be looking closely about what happens next, whether this is as we discussed just the first of a number of strikes or whether this is it. is your assessment there will perhaps be more. what will downing street be doing tonight?— street be doing tonight? they'll be watchin: street be doing tonight? they'll be watching things — street be doing tonight? they'll be watching things closely. _ street be doing tonight? they'll be watching things closely. i - street be doing tonight? they'll be watching things closely. i suspect l watching things closely. i suspect they've got some sort of warning. i doubt they got any detail on what the americans planned to do. yes, there will be nervousness about how long this will go on for and of course there will be nervousness about the extent of any iranian response and what happens, but they will have known throughout that a substantial american response was inevitable and, you know, they would support it, i'm sure. stand inevitable and, you know, they would support it, i'm sure.— support it, i'm sure. and “ust remind us i support it, i'm sure. and “ust remind us as i

support it, i'm sure. and “ust remind us as welli support it, i'm sure. and “ust remind us as well what i support it, i'm sure. andjust remind us as well what they l support it, i'm sure. and just i remind us as well what they are up against right now, because, as we said, iran has talked about not being responsible, it said it doesn't operate or direct the operations of these militia and yet at the same time we no perhaps there is funding, there is training, there is funding, there is training, there is military equipment, there is —— there is military equipment that is supplied. it's a different proposition to what we've seen with hamas, the houthi rebels and it's a different chain of command and yet speculation, certainly the allegation from the us is that all roads lead back to iran and to tehran. , ~ roads lead back to iran and to tehran. , ,, ., roads lead back to iran and to tehran. , ~' ., , , tehran. on this i kind of sympathise with the american _ tehran. on this i kind of sympathise with the american people _ tehran. on this i kind of sympathise with the american people to - tehran. on this i kind of sympathise with the american people to be i with the american people to be honest. once you are in the game of financing militia groups to make trouble and to work against western objectives in the region and once you are in the game of arming them, then i think that you can't suddenly say, oh, we didn't order this and therefore don't involve us. i don't think that washes, to be honest.

yes, the chain of command may be rather more tenuous than say with the houthis or hezbollah but even so once you are in that game, iran is in that game, i think you have to, you have to bear the consequences and i don't think people are going to say, oh, well, it's a little bit different, so i can understand why the americans have responded in the way they have. stand the americans have responded in the way they have-— way they have. and once again we will see what _ way they have. and once again we will see what happens _ way they have. and once again we will see what happens in - way they have. and once again we will see what happens in the i way they have. and once again we | will see what happens in the hours and days to come and i suppose it's that same question briefly for us if you will, kim darroch, is it possible that you can present this front, this deterrent that is being enforced by the us tonight, without making this or letting this spill over into a much wider conflict? well, it is possible. i'm not going to guarantee that's the way it's going to turn up. i think we can be so far reasonably encouraged by the

comparative lack of escalation in the wake of the events of the 7th of october and the israeli response, but, but, every government in the region, every militia leader in the region, every militia leader in the region, will be taking decisions case—by—case as things evolve and i do worry about quite how long this is really ground operation in gaza is really ground operation in gaza is going on, quite how many civilian casualties falling day by day, the lack of any apparent game plan for a conclusion to it and for moving on to diplomacy and to reconstruction, and i think that along the israeli ground operation goes on the greater the risk, but we'll see. lard ground operation goes on the greater the risk, but we'll see.— the risk, but we'll see. lord kim darroch, always _ the risk, but we'll see. lord kim darroch, always good _ the risk, but we'll see. lord kim darroch, always good to - the risk, but we'll see. lord kim darroch, always good to get i the risk, but we'll see. lord kim| darroch, always good to get your insight, thank you, former british ambassador to the united states. just a reminder of the breaking news this hour, the us confirming it has

targeted 85 sites in iraq and syria including long—range bombers flown from the united states. coverage continues throughout the evening on bbc news. with our colleagues in washington. iam in i am in washington, this is bbc world news america. we have some breaking news tonight on president biden's orders the use conducts air strikes in iraq and syria against iran's affiliated militia groups facility struck in the region include command and control operations, intelligent centres, rockets, missiles and more according to the us central command. this comes in response to the sunday attack injordan that killed three us service members.

we have breaking news — the us has begun air strikes against iranian—backed groups in syria and iraq. us central command released a statement saying in part "us centcom forces conducted airstrikes in iraq & syria against iran's islamic revolutionary guards corps quds forces. us military forces struck more than 85 targets. the airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions." it comes after three us soliders were killed in an attack on a us base in north—easternjordan on sunday by iran—backed militant groups. iran has denied involvement. us presidentjoe biden took part in the dignified transfer ceremony for the three in delaware, as their remains returned to the us friday. he also met with their families. the three soldiers, sergeants kennedy sanders, breonna moffett, and williamj rivers died in the strike near the border with syria on sunday. a0 more were wounded. with me is our state department correspondent, tom bateman.