Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a U.S. airstrike against Iranian-backed militants in Iraq, Argentina’s renewed bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund, and Israel’s military future in Gaza and Lebanon.

Middle East Escalations

U.S. forces launched an airstrike on a vehicle transporting top members of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iran-linked paramilitary faction that is part of Iraq’s larger Hashed al-Shaabi (or Popular Mobilization Forces), in eastern Baghdad on Thursday. At least two militants, including senior commander Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi, were killed and six others wounded. The assault struck near the brigade’s logistics headquarters.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called the attack a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a “dangerous escalation and assault” in an already-volatile region. “Iraq reserves its right to take a firm stance and take all measures that deter anyone who tries to harm its land and security forces,” the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said.

The United States deems Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba a terrorist organization, with one U.S. official saying Saidi was targeted because he “had American blood on his hands.” The Shiite Islamist group is closely aligned with Iran and actively opposes Washington’s support of Israel. However, its membership in Hashed al-Shaabi, which falls under government authority, has limited state crackdowns on the group’s activities.

Since the Israel-Hamas war first began on Oct. 7, militants have launched more than 100 attacks against U.S. targets in Iraq and Syria. Iran-linked armed groups that oppose U.S. engagement in the Middle East have claimed responsibility for many of these assaults. Last month, Washington carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-aligned militants in Iraq after three U.S. soldiers were wounded in an attack on a U.S. base. Around 2,500 U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq, with another 900 service members in Syria.

Thursday’s strike is the latest high-profile killing to rock the Middle East this week. On Tuesday, Israeli troops killed top Hamas officials meeting in Beirut. A day later, twin bombings killed more than 100 people attending a procession in Iran to remember the 2020 assassination of former military commander Qassem Suleimani by U.S. forces. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s explosions.

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What We’re Following

Debt bailout. A delegation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrived in Argentina on Thursday to finalize a deal to restart a suspended $44 billion bailout program. If confirmed, the IMF will unlock more than $3 billion in new funding at a time when Buenos Aires is due to pay more than $2 billion by the end of the month. This will be the first time IMF officials meet with newly elected President Javier Milei, who campaigned on finance reform and kicked off his tenure with extensive economic shock measures.

But the start of the new year has been far from smooth sailing for Milei. On Wednesday, an Argentine court suspended the president’s labor reforms, arguing that they violated worker protections. Under the proposed policies, probationary periods would extend from three to eight months, pregnancy leave would shorten, and dismissed employees would receive less compensation. Milei is expected to appeal the decision, and the country’s main labor union has called for a nationwide strike on Jan. 24.

Israel-Hamas future. An uptick in Israeli shelling killed at least 16 Palestinians, including nine children, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Thursday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Locals said Israeli forces also attacked three refugee camps in the region, killing at least five people. The recent operations have prompted more Palestinians to flee south as international condemnation of the war grows. More than 22,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war began.

Israel kicked off 2024 by announcing its first drawdown of troops to prepare for a less intense campaign. However, Israeli officials said fighting in the Gaza Strip will continue for “six months at least” as forces prepare for a potential wider war along the Israel-Lebanon border. Following Tuesday’s attack in Beirut, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened unrestrained warfare against Israel on Wednesday, one “without boundaries or rules” that will come at a “very, very, very high cost.”

Opening the doors. The Biden administration reopened four entry ports along the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday: two in Arizona, one in California, and one in Texas. U.S. Customs and Border Protection urged the White House to reopen the ports, which were closed for much of last month, after December saw a record-setting 300,000-plus migrants cross. “We anticipate the encounter numbers at the border will continue to fluctuate,” a senior U.S. administration official said.

The decision follows a delegation of more than 60 House Republicans visiting the U.S. southern border on Wednesday to pressure U.S. President Joe Biden into enacting stricter immigration policies. House Speaker Mike Johnson demanded continued funding for the country’s border wall, among other measures, as well as blamed Biden for the nation’s migrant crisis.

Odds and Ends

Sure, there are birds and planes and the occasional spy balloon up in the air. But how often do you see a French tightrope walker braving nearly 886 feet of skyline? People in Chile’s capital, Santiago, were in for a treat this week when French circus artist Nathan Paulin kicked off Teatro A Mil, Chile’s largest performing arts festival, by walking across Santiago’s main downtown avenue on a rope suspended 164 feet aboveground. Even with Paulin secured to the line by a safety rope and taking a few much-needed breaks by lying down across the line, the gravity-defying stunt shocked and delighted onlookers.