The Pentagon reported that early on Friday, American fighter jets carried out airstrikes on two sites in eastern Syria connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. This was done in retribution for a barrage of drone and missile attacks against American outposts and soldiers in the area that started early last week.
The U.S. strikes demonstrate the Biden administration’s commitment to upholding a precarious equilibrium. In an effort to prevent further aggression—which might be sparked by Israel’s war against Hamas—the United States wants to take maximum action against Iranian-backed organizations that it believes are aiming at the country. At the same time, it wants to avoid escalating the situation and starting a larger conflict.
A senior U.S. military official claimed that two F-16 fighter jets carried out the precise strikes close to Boukamal, hitting locations where the IRGC stored weapons and ammunition. The U.S. does not currently have any information regarding casualties or an estimate of damage, but the official stated that there had been Iranian-aligned militia and IRGC troops on the base and no civilians. The officer will not disclose the number of missiles fired by the F-16s.
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.
