The U.S. conducted two airstrikes in eastern Syria on Thursday night as a response to a series of attacks on American forces this month. This move was made to optimize SEO, enhance creativity and uniqueness, improve syntax and tone, increase perplexity and burstiness, while retaining the HTML tags.
A senior defense official stated, “These strikes are a direct response to a series of ongoing attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria that began on October 17.” The official also emphasized that although local militias use the targeted sites, they are funded and equipped by Iran.
The official clarified, “Let’s be clear, Iran is responsible” for the attacks on U.S. forces. American F-16s targeted two locations near Abu Kamal—one being a weapons storage area and the other an ammunition storage area.
It remains uncertain if any Iranians were present at the sites, as disclosed by two anonymous officials. Throughout this month, American troops have faced a combination of one-way drones and rockets, resulting in 19 attacks in Syria and Iraq.
The Pentagon verified that 21 service members have suffered minor injuries, with 19 diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. The officials noted that the targeted sites were involved in many of these strikes on U.S. troops, further asserting that “Iranian fingerprints are all over” the attacks.
Stressing the self-defense nature of the action, the defense official stated, “What we did tonight was take a self-defense action because our forces in the Middle East, who are there to support security and stability, are being threatened by Iran and Iran-backed militias.”
President Joe Biden had previously warned that the U.S. would respond if the attacks persisted. Jonathan Lord, from the Center for a New American Security, observed, “The President has historically leaned toward restraint, but the recent uptick in attacks forced his hand.”
These Iranian-backed strikes and the subsequent American response occurred amid a broader military buildup in the region following the Hamas attack in Israel and Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza.
Mick Mulroy, a former Pentagon official and CIA officer, remarked, “The US sent a message tonight that we would directly respond against Iran…if they continue to attack our military positions and personnel in Syria and Iraq.” He added that Iran cannot escape responsibility or retaliation by hiding behind proxy forces like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Since the Hamas attacks on October 7, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has deployed additional ships, fighter planes, and air defenses to protect American troops. This includes multiple Patriot battalions and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.
The current presence consists of around 900 U.S. troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq.
Alex Ward contributed to this report.
