US strikes sites used by Iran, its proxies in Syria after attacks on American troops
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Earlier today, US military forces stuck two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups in response to a recent series of attacks against American personnel based in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed militias, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announces.
One American contractor for the US military died from a heart attack while sheltering during one of those strikes and 21 US soldiers suffered were lightly injured before returning to duty shortly thereafter, the Pentagon says.
US President Joe Biden “directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” Austin says in a statement.
Austin stresses that the US “does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against US forces are unacceptable and must stop.”
“Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran’s proxies against US forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people,” the US defense chief says.
“These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend US personnel in Iraq and Syria. They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict,” Austin clarifies
“We continue to urge all state and non-state entities not to take action that would escalate into a broader regional conflict,” he says.
