Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Thursday night the U.S. launched attacks on two bases in Syria used by Iranian proxy forces to attack American troops based in Syria and Iraq. U.S. troops have been attacked several times this month in Iraq and Syria; until this evening those attacks have gone unanswered by the Biden administration. About two dozen troops have been injured in the attacks. A contractor died from a heart attack during one assault. (UPDATE at end of article).
The U.S. strikes come just hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian threatened the United States in English over the Hamas-Israel war in a speech given at the United Nations in New York City.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s Statement on U.S. Military Strikes in Eastern Syria
Oct. 26, 2023
Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted self-defense strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups. These precision self-defense 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 October 17. As a result of these attacks, one U.S. citizen contractor died from a cardiac incident while sheltering in place; 21 U.S. personnel suffered from minor injuries, but all have since returned to duty. 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 not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.
The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop. Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran’s proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people.
These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria. 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. We continue to urge all state and non-state entities not to take action that would escalate into a broader regional conflict.
Earlier Thursday Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian threatened the United States while speaking on U.S. soil in New York City at the United Nations:
#BREAKING Iran’s Foreign Minister @Amirabdolahian, in his speech at the UN General Assembly, warned the United States that “you won’t be spared from the fire of the war in region” if the Gaza war does not stop.
“I say it frankly to American statesmen: We don’t welcome the… pic.twitter.com/Q1IsSu4tao— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) October 26, 2023
“…Shows that we have always supported peace and security. But today in New York, and the United Nations, I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome to expansion of the war in the region. But, I warn, if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire. It is our home. And West Asia is our region. We do not compromise with any party and any side. And we have no reservations when it comes to our home’s security. The genocide in Gaza must stop immediately. The forced displacement of the people of Gaza must be stopped immediately. Today Gaza is waiting for urgent and vital humanitarian aid. According to international law, the Palestinian liberation movement Hamas is fighting the occupation and has a legitimate right. Mr. President, according to our negotiations Hamas is ready to release civilian prisoners. On the other hand, the world should support the release of six thousand Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons.”
Transcribed by TGP.
Speaking in Farsi, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran was working with Hamas for Iran to take custody of the non-military hostages as part of negotiations invovling Iran, Turkey and Qatar as mediators to get the release of 6,000 Palestinians being held by Israel.
Hear this 👀
Iranian FM in UN General Assembly speech says Hamas “voiced their readiness” to hand over all the civilian hostages to IRAN who would then negotiate, along with Qatar and Turkey, their release in exchange for the release of 6,000 terrorists in Israeli jails. pic.twitter.com/CnI7HmJPGn
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) October 26, 2023
Video of Iranian drones launched at U.S. forces in Syria earlier this week:
Iranian-backed terror group “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” say they have attacked multiple U.S. bases in Syria (reportedly Al-Tanf and al-Rukban) with HESA Ababil-2 suicide drones made in Iran.
Footage ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/r8F58AI5sB
— Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) October 23, 2023
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) called on Joe Biden to revoke the visa for Amir-Abdollahian and kick him out of the country for his threatening remarks, “.@POTUS: Revoke his visa now. He is not welcome in America. The United States cannot tolerate threats to our nation from terror-sponsors.”
.@POTUS: Revoke his visa now. He is not welcome in America.
The United States cannot tolerate threats to our nation from terror-sponsors. https://t.co/2gc4uitMAT
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) October 26, 2023
UPDATE: A senior defense official briefed reporters on the U.S. strikes, saying their were intended to send a message to Iran to tell its proxies to stop their attacks on U.S. troops. The official said 2 F-16s carried out the mission on two bases used by the IRGC and their proxies. No casualty assessment has been released. It is not known whether any Iranian personnel were at the IRGC bases.
ABC’s Matt Seyler: “NEW from a senior military official: US struck a weapon storage area and an ammunition storage site using precision munitions launched via F-16. The official confirmed the attack sites were Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated facilities, saying, “the people that occupy these locations are Iranian-aligned militia groups as well as IRGC personnel,” but not whether any Iranians were present at the time….”We hit exactly what we were aiming at,” the senior military official said…A separate senior defense official said “Iran is the center of gravity for what we’re seeing” regarding attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria. “Iranian fingerprints are all over this.”…More from SDO on Iranian culpability for proxies in Iraq/Syria attacking US troops: “Iran is trying to hide its hand and maintain some level of deniability, and we are not allowing that to happen. We hold Iran accountable for the actions of groups that it’s trained and equipped.”
NEW from a senior military official: US struck a weapon storage area and an ammunition storage site using precision munitions launched via F-16. https://t.co/mGADavjH05
— Matt Seyler (@MattSeyler) October 27, 2023
“We hit exactly what we were aiming at,” the senior military official said.
— Matt Seyler (@MattSeyler) October 27, 2023
More from SDO on Iranian culpability for proxies in Iraq/Syria attacking US troops: “Iran is trying to hide its hand and maintain some level of deniability, and we are not allowing that to happen. We hold Iran accountable for the actions of groups that it’s trained and equipped.”
— Matt Seyler (@MattSeyler) October 27, 2023
