US strikes alleged Iran-linked weapons storage facility in Syria

Middle East, News, US November 9, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

United States Air Force conducted an air strike in Eastern Syria on November 8, 2023, to destroy what they claimed was an Iran-linked weapons storage facility. The U.S. Department of Defense said that the facility was used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.

The United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the “self-defense” aerial attack in a statement saying that it was carried out using U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jets. The attack was carried out in response to the recent attacks on the U.S. forces deployed in the Middle East.

“This precision self-defense strike is a response to a series of attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by IRGC-Quds Force affiliates. The president has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” Austin said in the statement said.

“The United States is fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities. We urge against any escalation. U.S. personnel will continue to conduct counter-ISIS missions in Iraq and Syria,” he added.

Llyod Austin and Gen Brown — ^{U.S. Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a press conference alongside U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 11, 2023. (Image Credit: U.S. Department of Defense)}

Amid the rising tensions in the Middle East following the Israel-Hamas conflict, the U.S. has increased its deployment in the region. Washington, which is siding with Israel in the ongoing conflict, has also reported that its troops and their allies have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed forces, with 45 servicemen suffering traumatic brain injuries or minor wounds.

U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) also shared the details of the air strike against a facility in Syria allegedly used by IRGC and affiliated groups following attacks on U.S. persons in Iraq and Syria. “We will take all necessary measures to defend our people against those who are responsible for the attacks and will respond at a time and place of our choosing,” CENTCOM said.

Following a series of attacks against U.S. persons in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces conducted an air strike against a facility in Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups. We will take all necessary measures to… pic.twitter.com/KoLGWbnaxo
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 8, 2023

In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the U.S. troops and military bases in Iraq and Syria have been repeatedly attacked through rockets and drones. It also reported that some of the U.S. troops in the region have faced injuries because of these attacks. Washington has accused Tehran of facilitating the attacks.

The White House has also backed the claims of Iran’s involvement in the attacks on the U.S. military personnel. The National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby expressed his concerns about the “uptick” in rocket and drone attacks over the course of the last few weeks as he blamed Iranian-backed proxy groups. “We are deeply concerned about the potential for any significant escalation of these attacks,” said Kirby.

Late last month, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the U.S. forces struck two Iran-linked facilities in Syria that were involved in carrying out attacks on U.S. military personnel.

The United States has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 more in Iraq, on a mission to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of ISIL (ISIS), which in 2014 seized control of large swathes of both countries before it was eventually defeated.