U.S. military strikes Iran-linked targets in Syria in retaliation for troop attacks
U.S. says action was separate from Hamas war but Iran has been angered by Washington support for Israel
U.S. fighter jets launched airstrikes early Friday on two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Pentagon said, in retaliation for a slew of drone and missile attacks against U.S. bases and personnel in the region that began early last week.
The U.S. strikes reflect the Biden administration's determination to maintain a delicate balance. The U.S. wants to hit Iranian-backed groups suspected of targeting the U.S. as strongly as possible to deter future aggression, possibly fuelled by Israel's war against Hamas, while also working to avoid inflaming the region and provoking a wider conflict.
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told ABC's Good Morning America that "these strikes were in self defence."
Asked if Iran will retaliate, Kirby said, "It's not uncommon for them to strike back. If they do, we'll absolutely do what we have to do to protect our troops and our facilities."
Syrian opposition activists said Iran-backed fighters fired rockets at an oil facility housing U.S. troops in eastern Syria hours after the American airstrikes.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said six rockets hit al-Omar oil field in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zour. The Observatory said it wasn't clear if there were any casualties.
The Observatory said the U.S. strikes earlier Friday wounded seven Iraqi Iran-backed fighters.
'Self-defence strikes'
In a statement, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the "precision self-defence 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 Oct. 17." Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Lebanon's Hezbollah are all backed by Tehran.
He said U.S. President Joe Biden directed the narrowly tailored strikes "to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests."
Austin added that the operation was separate and distinct from Israel's war against Hamas.
But Tehran has issued strong warnings to Washington concerning U.S. military support mobilized for Israel since it suffered a deadly incursion from Hamas on Oct. 7, which killed over 1,400 people, including several Canadians.
Iranian officials have openly criticized the U.S. for providing weapons to Israel that have been used to strike Gaza in response, resulting in civilian death.
As well, Israeli forces since Oct. 7 have engaged in exchanges of fire with Hezbollah fighters along the Lebanese border.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said at the United Nations Thursday that if Israel's offensive against Hamas did not stop, the United States will "not be spared from this fire."
Nearly 20 attacks in recent days, U.S. says
The Biden administration has not accused Iran of having a direct role in the Hamas attack on Israel and has said it appears so far that Tehran was not aware of it beforehand. But the U.S. has noted that Iran has long supported Hamas and has raised concerns that Iran and its proxies could turn the conflict into a wider war.
According to the Pentagon, there have now been at least 19 attacks on U.S. bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, including three new ones Thursday. Air Force Brig.-Gen. Pat Ryder said 21 U.S. personnel were injured in two of those assaults that used drones to target al-Asad Airbase in Iraq and al-Tanf Garrison in Syria.
The White House in recent days made it clear that the U.S. would respond, with Ryder saying Thursday that it would be "at the time and place of our choosing."
Biden sent a rare message to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning Tehran against targeting U.S. personnel in the Middle East, the White House said Thursday.
With files from CBC News