Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that Washington has warned Iran about the consequences of targeting U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq. During his daily press conference and in response to a question regarding the attacks on U.S. military sites in Syria and Iraq, Patel confirmed, "We have sent a resounding and direct deterrent message to Iran about our readiness to robustly defend our personnel and interests."
He noted that "in late last month, the U.S. military conducted strikes against two facilities in eastern Syria used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and affiliated groups. These precise strikes were defensive measures in response to a series of ongoing and largely unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria." Patel added, "We have been very clear that we will take any necessary actions to protect our personnel and interests in the region. Additionally, we made it clear to regional countries that we are very keen on ensuring that this conflict does not escalate."
Regarding Iraq, Patel mentioned, "We raised this matter directly with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Baghdad. The Iraqi Prime Minister described these attacks as unacceptable and committed to taking all possible steps to stop them."
