The US military targeted two locations in eastern Syria utilized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and allied groups, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday.
“The precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17”, according to a statement released by the Pentagon.
“During the strikes, one US citizen contractor died from a cardiac episode, and 21 US military personnel received minor injuries, but all have since returned to duty”, Austin noted.
“The strikes in Syria come after President Joe Biden issued a direct warning to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, early Thursday”, the White House said.
“A direct message was relayed. That’s all I’m going to say”, said US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, declining to specify how it was delivered.
Austin attempted to separate the strikes against IRGC sites in Syria from the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas members in Gaza in his remarks.
“These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend US personnel in Iraq and Syria”, Austin continued.
Austin went on to say, “They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict”.
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