The U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, announced late Thursday that American forces targeted two facilities belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in eastern Syria under the direction of President Joe Biden. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated in a statement that "the precise strikes are for self-defense and are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against Americans in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed factions that began on October 17."
Austin clarified that "the strikes are aimed solely at protecting our forces in Iraq and Syria," adding that "they are separate from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and do not represent a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict." The U.S. defense secretary committed to continue "urging all governmental and non-governmental parties not to take actions that could lead to a broader regional conflict."
Austin reiterated that Washington "will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself and its interests," noting that "the United States does not seek conflict and has no intention or desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iran-backed attacks against our forces are unacceptable and must cease." He emphasized that Iran seeks "to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces, and we will not allow this. If attacks by Iranian proxies against our forces persist, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people."
