U.S. military forces struck a training facility and a safe house in eastern Syria that were used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups, according to the Pentagon. The strikes, which hit sites near the cities of Bukamal and Mayadin, were in response to “continued attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. Austin did not disclose whether there have been any new attacks against U.S. forces in recent days.
troops in the region have been attacked by Iranian proxies at least 46 times since mid-October amid the war in Gaza and fears that any escalation could widen the conflict into a regional war. “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 his statement Sunday.