The Pentagon reported that a suspected Iranian drone killed a US contractor on a coalition base in northeast Syria Thursday.
Following a deadly assault on a coalition base, the United States has conducted airstrikes against Revolutionary Guard-backed targets in Syria.
Thursday, a suspected Iranian drone attacked a facility in northeastern Syria, killing an American contractor, according to the Pentagon.
The assault also resulted in the injury of five US servicemembers and one US contractor.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the United States retaliated with “precision airstrikes” against Iranian Revolutionary Guard-affiliated facilities in eastern Syria.
Mr. Austin stated that the airstrikes were a response to Thursday’s drone attack “as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria” by Revolutionary Guard-affiliated groups.
Social media video shows explosions in Deir el-Zour, a strategic Syrian province bordering Iraq with hydrocarbon fields.
In recent months, Israeli airstrikes have allegedly targeted Iranian supply routes in the region. Which is ruled by Iranian-backed militias and Syrian troops.
Mr. Austin stated that he authorized the retaliatory attacks at Joe Biden’s direction.
As President Biden has stated, we will defend our people at our discretion.
No group will be able to attack our soldiers with impunity.
The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard of Iran, which only replies to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is suspected of employing bomb-carrying drones to conduct attacks across the greater Middle East.
Russia has recently started using Iranian drones to target Ukrainian sites as part of its invasion.
Iran has disputed responsibility for such attacks, even though Western nations and experts have traced drone components back to Tehran.
According to the US Department of Defense, the intelligence community identified Thursday’s robotic aerial vehicle as Iranian.
Warn of additional U.S. airstrikes “if necessary”
General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of the US military’s Central Command, warned of extra strikes if needed.
“We are prepared to respond to any additional Iranian attacks with scalable options,” he said.
Syria’s state-run SANA news agency did not immediately acknowledge any attacks in the east, and Iran has not yet responded to the attacks, which have occurred during the sacred Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Due to Iran concerns, the US attacked Syria in February 2021, June 2021, and August 2022.
US forces entered Syria in 2015 to support allied forces in their struggle against the Islamic State, and they continue to maintain the base near Hasakah, northeast Syria, where Thursday’s drone strike took place.
Approximately 900 US soldiers are present in Syria at present.
