US forces struck two facilities in eastern Syria that are used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and groups it supports. Following many attacks on US personnel in both Syria and Iraq, the strikes were carried out in reprisal, as reported by the Pentagon.
President Joe Biden issued the order for the strikes.
The strikes demonstrate the Biden administration’s commitment to uphold a naïve balance. In an effort to prevent the spark in the area and starting a larger battle, the US hopes to deter future aggression, which may be ignited by Israel’s war against Hamas, by hitting Iranian-backed groups suspected of targeting the country as hard as possible.
There have been 21 minor injuries sustained by United States personnel, with traumatic brain injuries accounting for the majority of these cases.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that “these precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks by Iranian-backed militia groups against US personnel in Iraq and Syria that began on October 17.”
Since October 17, there have been at least 12 strikes on American sites and troops in Iraq and four in Syria, according to the Pentagon.
Austin added, “If attacks by Iran’s proxies against United States forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people. These Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop.”
Where did US launch strikes?
The F-16 and F-15 fighter aircraft strikes near Boukamal, according to Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, targeted a weapons and ammunition storage site utilized by the IRGC and allied forces. He declared, “Both facilities were destroyed. At this time, we estimate that there were no casualties from the strikes.”
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.
Syrian opposition members in the eastern region of Deir el-Zour verified the strikes. The primary aim, according to activist Omar Abu Layla of Deir Ezzor 24, is the area outside the town of Mayadeen known as “the farms.” Abu Layla is based in Europe. According to him, it is a crucial transit location where Iranian weapons are kept before being sent to Lebanon.
He added that the second strike occurred in the Boukamal area, which borders Iraq, and is referred to as the “green belt.” Because the retaliation was anticipated, some persons were evacuated before to the strikes, according to Abu Layla. Ambulances were spotted racing to the scene, according to the opposition war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, headquartered in Britain, however it was unclear whether any people had been injured.
In the meantime, on Friday, the semiofficial Iranian news outlet Tasnim said that in response to US airstrikes, gunmen in eastern Syria fired ten rockets at an American military facility. According to a United States official, the missile attack was verified and no deaths were recorded.
Additionally, fighters using a suicide drone assaulted the al-Assad airbase in western Iraq, according to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization for multiple organizations supported by Iran. According to American sources, the missile missed the base and was shot down a few kilometers distant.
US President Joe Biden confirms
“The strikes were intended to establish deterrence and were conducted in a manner to limit the risk of escalation and avoid civilian casualties. I directed the strikes in order to protect and defend our personnel, to degrade and disrupt the ongoing series of attacks against the United States and our partners, and to deter Iran and Iran-backed militia groups from conducting or supporting further attacks on United States personnel and facilities”, said US President Joe Biden addressing a letter to the congressional leaders.
According to the senior defense official, the bombings will significantly hinder Iranian group’s capacity to continue attacking American forces. When asked which groups were the focus, the official replied that there are a number that go by different names, but Tehran is held accountable by the United States for providing the allies with funding, arming, equipping, and direction.
According to the official, the purpose of the airstrikes was to force Iran to stop attacking American posts and personnel, rather than to escalate the battle in the area.
The retaliation was not unexpected. The United States will respond, as officials at the Pentagon and White House have made evident for the past week. Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder on Thursday stated that the response would occur “at the time and place of our choosing.”
Earlier in the day, he told reporters during a Pentagon briefing, “I think we’ve been crystal clear that we maintain the inherent right of defending our troops and we will take all necessary measures to protect our forces and our interests overseas.”
Israel-Hamas connection
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 allies could turn the dispute into a larger war, believing that Iran has traditionally supported Hamas.
The latest spate of strikes by the Iranian-linked groups came in the wake of a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital, triggering protests in a number of Muslim nations. The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas rampage in southern Israel nearly three weeks ago, but Israel has denied responsibility for the al-Ahli hospital blast and President Joe Biden has backed this claim.
Although Iranian officials have publicly denounced the United States for providing Israel with weapons of destructions that have been used to hit Gaza. American authorities have not publicly linked the latest wave of attacks in Syria and Iraq to the carnage in Gaza.
Israel and Hamas are in a state of war since October 7. President Joe Biden visited Israel briefly gesturing support for his long term ally, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Gaza has been razed by destruction with more than 6700 deaths and a blockade of essentials. Most of the nations including the UN have demanded a ceasefire for humanitarian cause. However, Israel has started a ground raid in aim of finding whatever is left of the Palestinian nation.
Following the attack in Syria, the renowned entrepreneur, Elon Musk, tweeted on his account this picture with the caption, “Oh the Irany”. It seems that not every American is toeing the line with Biden’s idea of targeting Iranian assets in Syria.
