The Pentagon reported that early on Friday, American fighter jets carried out airstrikes on two sites in eastern Syria connected to Iran‘s Revolutionary Guard Corps. This was done in retribution for a barrage of drone and missile attacks against American outposts and soldiers in the area that started early last week.
The U.S. strikes demonstrate the Biden administration’s commitment to upholding a precarious equilibrium. In an effort to prevent more aggression—which might be sparked by Israel’s fight against Hamas—the United States wants to take maximum action against Iranian-backed organizations that it believes are aiming at the country. At the same time, it wants to avoid escalating the situation and starting a larger conflict.
A senior U.S. military official claimed that two F-16 fighter jets carried out the precise strikes close to Boukamal, hitting locations where the IRGC stored weapons and ammunition. The U.S. does not currently have any information regarding casualties or an estimate of damage, but the official stated that there had been Iranian-aligned militia and IRGC troops on the base and no civilians. The officer will not disclose the number of missiles fired by the F-16s.
According to a top defense official, the locations were picked because the IRGC keeps the kinds of weapons that were used in the attacks on American troops and bases there. Following the strikes, the two officials gave reporters a briefing on the mission’s details that had not yet been made public, under the condition that they remain anonymous.
The US referred to the strikes as “precision self-defense”
Since October 17, there have been at least 19 strikes on American sites and people in Iraq and Syria, including three new ones on Thursday, according to the Pentagon. According to Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, two of those assaults that targeted al-Tanf Garrison in Syria and al-Asad Airbase in Iraq using drones resulted in the injuries of twenty-one US servicemen.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated in a statement that the “precision self-defense strikes are in response to a series of ongoing and primarily unsuccessful attacks by Iranian-backed militia groups which began on October 17 against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria.”
According to the report, President Joe Biden ordered the targeted strikes “to make clear that the United States will not accept such attacks & will defend itself, its personnel, & its interests.” Furthermore, he emphasized that the operation had nothing to do with Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
The potential of Iranian proxy groups to attack American forces will be significantly impacted by the F-16 airstrikes, a senior defense official told reporters. When asked which groups were the focus, the official replied that there is a number that goes by different names, but Tehran is held accountable by the United States for providing the proxies’ funding, arming, equipping, and direction. According to the official, the purpose of the airstrikes was to force Iran to order the militia groups to stop attacking American posts and personnel, rather than to escalate the battle in the area.
The Biden administration has stated that it appears Tehran was unaware of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and has not accused Tehran of playing a direct part in it. However, the United States has expressed concerns that Iran and its proxies could escalate the dispute into a larger war, noting that Iran has traditionally supported Hamas.
According to Austin, while the United States does not want a wider battle, it will not think twice to defend its forces if Iranian proxy groups persist.
The Pentagon reports that every American service member injured in the terrorist strikes only suffered minor wounds and went back to work. A contractor also passed away from a heart arrest while running for cover from a potential drone assault.
US troops were involved in the strike response, not Gaza
The counterattacks were not unexpected. The United States will respond, as officials at the Pentagon and White House have made evident for the past week. Ryder reiterated on Thursday that the response would occur “at the time & place of our choosing.”
Earlier in the day, at a Pentagon briefing, he told reporters, “I think it’s been crystal clear that we will maintain the inherent right of defending our troops and that we will take any necessary steps to protect our forces and our interests overseas.”
On Wednesday, Biden stated that he had forewarned Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that “we will respond” if Tehran keeps “moving against” American forces in the Middle East.
The most recent round of strikes by the groups with ties to Iran followed a fatal bombing at a hospital in Gaza, which sent off protests across several Muslim countries. In response to the horrific Hamas rampage in southern Israel over three weeks ago, the Israeli military has been attacking Gaza nonstop. However, Israel has denied any involvement in the explosion at the al-Ahli hospital, and the United States has stated that Tel Aviv was not at fault based on its intelligence assessment.
The United States, including the Pentagon, has stated time and time again that any American strike reaction would be directly related to the troop attacks and unrelated to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Following comparable attacks on U.S. sites, such retribution, and strikes against Iranian targets in Syria are not uncommon.
For example, in March, following an Iranian-linked attack in northeast Syria that left a U.S. contractor dead and seven other Americans wounded, the United States launched strikes against sites in Syria utilized by organizations connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. US F-15 fighter aircraft from Qatar’s al-Udeid Air Base made multiple strikes in Deir el-Zour.
The proportionality of the American response and its goal of preventing attacks against U.S. forces engaged in combat with the Islamic State organization has been repeatedly emphasized by U.S. authorities.
Although Iranian officials have publicly denounced the United States for giving Israel weaponry that has been used to hit Gaza, killing civilians, American authorities have not publicly linked the latest wave of attacks in Syria and Iraq to the carnage in Gaza.
To defend US forces, the Pentagon has strengthened air defenses in the area. The United States has declared that it is sending more fighter jets, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, and multiple Patriot missile systems batteries.
The Patriot batteries are being transported from Fort Liberty in North Carolina and Fort Sill in Oklahoma, while the THAAD is being sent from Fort Bliss in Texas. Additionally, a Fort Liberty-based Avenger air defense system is being supplied.
According to officials, up to two Patriot battalions are currently in action. Patriot batteries have six to eight launchers each, and a battalion can have at least three of these.
About 900 troops, including those connected to the air defense systems, have deployed or are en route to the Middle East, according to Ryder’s statement on Thursday.