The White House has strongly supported the airstrikes that targeted two facilities in eastern Syria, which were being used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), emphasizing Iran’s responsibility for recent attacks on U.S. troops in the region.
During an interview on Fox News, Kirby stated, “I believe we clearly demonstrated last night that we are holding Iran accountable.”
President Biden instructed the U.S. military to carry out “self-defense airstrikes” on a weapons storage facility and an ammunition storage area used by the IRGC. The military successfully executed “discreet precision strikes” using two F-16 fighter jets, near Al Bukamal, Syria, close to the Iraq border.
Kirby further explained, “The IRGC, under the direction of the Supreme Leader, is providing direction, support, financing, and training to the militia groups that are launching attacks against our troops in Iraq and Syria. The two targets we attacked last night directly connect to the IRGC.”
According to Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, there have been a total of 19 attacks on the U.S. military in the Middle East over the past week, including four in Syria and 12 in Iraq. Three additional attacks occurred on Thursday alone.
As a result of these attacks, 21 American soldiers have sustained minor injuries, including several with traumatic brain injuries.
Kirby added, “We are not avoiding attributing responsibility to the IRGC or … the regime and the targets we selected. We will not hesitate to engage in further action if these attacks persist.”
He outlined the plan to directly target ammunition and storage facilities to weaken the support for militia groups. Additionally, sending a strong message of deterrence is a top priority for the U.S. military.
Kirby concluded, “We hope they received the message. If they did not, and if … these attacks continue, as the President said, we will continue to respond.”
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