US Hits Iran-Linked Sites With Airstrikes In Response To Attacks On US Troops In Iraq And Syria

The US military on Friday hit two sites linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Eastern Syria in response to recent attacks by Iranian proxies in the Middle East region. 

Since October 17, one US contractor has died and at least 21 US service personnel have sustained minor injuries in Iran-backed militias' attacks on US troops deployed in Iraq and Syria. 

The US Department of Defense (DoD) described the strikes as "self-defence" strikes against IRGC and affiliated groups are "a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel" in the Middle East region. The DoD statement added that the US intention is not to escalate the situation but it would also not hesitate to take further actions if the attacks continue. 

The IRGC is a military force parallel to the regular Iranian military but works independently of the regular military. The IRGC is directly under the Supreme Leader of Iran and acts as his sword arm and is designated as the custodian of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 that overthrew the liberal, pro-West monarchy and established a theocratic rule in the country. 

"These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17...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. 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 U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people," said DoD. 

The New York Times reported that the attacks are "near-daily" and there have been 16 attacks so far in Iraq and Syria on US troops. The attacks have targeted Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq and al-Tanf garrison in southern Syria. The NYT noted that there are around 2,500 US troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, who are primarily helping local allies conduct counter-terrorism missions against the terrorist group ISIS.

The DoD said that the incidents are not related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The attacks on US troops, however, began after the Iran-backed Hamas waged a war on Israel and another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, joined the Hamas-led war. Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, the Biden administration boosted the US military presence in the region by dispatching two aircraft carriers and accompanying warships. 

"To that end, the U.S. has deployed two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean near Israel and dozens of additional warplanes to the Persian Gulf region to deter Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq from engaging in a regional war. The Pentagon has also rushed additional Patriot antimissile batteries and other air defenses to several Gulf nations to protect U.S. troops and bases in the region," noted NYT. 

Additionally, CNN reported that around 900 additional troops have been ordered to be deployed in the region amid aggression from Iran and its proxies. Earlier, following the Hamas all-out offensive against Israel, the United States had put around 2,000 troops on alert form deployment to the region to boost its presence to secure its interests and to deter any wider adventurism by Iran or its proxies.