The United States military conducted a retaliatory airstrike Wednesday on a facility in eastern Syria that is connected to Iran-backed terrorist organizations.
In a statement from the Pentagon Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated, “Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted a self-defense strike on a facility in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.”
According to Austin, Wednesday’s airstrike against a weapons storage facility in eastern Syria was carried out by two U.S. F-15s. Austin explained that the “precision self-defense strike” was a military response to the dozens of attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria that have been conducted by the IRGC and other terrorist organizations.
“The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” Austin stated. “The United States is fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities. We urge against any escalation. U.S. personnel will continue to conduct counter-ISIS missions in Iraq and Syria.”
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Wednesday’s airstrike in Syria is the second time in the past couple of weeks that the United States military has conducted strikes against facilities used by Iran-backed terrorist organizations in retaliation for attacks against U.S. forces. According to Military.com, various terrorist organizations in the Middle East have conducted at least 40 attacks against U.S. forces since Oct. 17.
Military.com reported that the most recent U.S. strike against an Iran-backed facility in Syria was intended to destroy weapons, ammunition, and supplies that could be used by Iran-backed terrorist organizations to carry out additional attacks against U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq, as well as to deter terrorist organizations from engaging in attacks against U.S. bases.
On Oct. 27, the U.S. military executed two strikes against Iran-backed facilities in Syria. After the Oct. strikes, Austin stated, “The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop.”
Despite the U.S. military conducting retaliatory strikes to deter attacks against U.S. forces, terrorist organizations in the Middle East have continued to carry out both drone and rocket attacks. However, the Pentagon has reported that the most recent attacks have not resulted in significant damage or injuries.
