Biden orders 'proportionate, deliberate' airstrikes on Iran-backed militia in Syria, Pentagon says


The U.S. military, "at President Biden's direction," conducted "precision airstrikes" in Syria's eastern Deir ez-Zor province, targeting "infrastructure facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," U.S. Central Command said late Tuesday. The strikes were in response to attacks on U.S. forces from Iran-baked groups, CENTCOM spokesman Co. Joe Buccino said in a statement, citing an Aug. 15 attack on the Green Village base used by U.S. and allied forces in Syria. CENTCOM said at the time there were "zero casualties and no damage" from that attack.
U.S. forces have been in Syria since 2014, sent to fight Islamic State militants. There are still about 900 U.S. troops in Syria, mostly in the east. Iranian-backed militias, which got a foothold in Syria while fighting to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's civil war, "are heavily concentrated west of the Euphrates in Deir al-Zor province," Reuters reports.
The Iranian-backed militias and Syrian forces that control Deir Ez-Zor "have often been the target of Israeli war planes in previous strikes," The Associated Press reports. The U.S., its Kurdish-led allies, Iranian militias, Turkey, and Assad's forces have all fought ISIS. "U.S. forces remain in Syria to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS," CENTCOM's Buccino said. Tuesday's "proportionate, deliberate action" was taken to "protect and defend U.S. personnel" while limiting "the risk of escalation" and minimizing "the risk of casualties."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The strikes came even as the United States aimed to respond to a draft agreement proposed by the European Union that would bring back the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that former President Donald Trump abandoned" and Biden seeks to revive, Reuters notes.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Another messaging app used by the White House is in hot water
The Explainer TeleMessage was seen being used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
-
AI hallucinations are getting worse
In the Spotlight And no one knows why it is happening
-
Social media: How ‘content’ replaced friendship
Feature Facebook has shifted from connecting with friends to competing with entertainment companies
-
Israel approves plan to take over Gaza indefinitely
speed read Benjamin Netanyahu says the country is 'on the eve of a forceful entry'
-
Putin talks nukes as Kyiv slated for US air defenses
speed read 'I hope they will not be required,' Putin said of nuclear weapons on Russian state TV
-
US, Ukraine sign joint minerals deal
speed read The Trump administration signed a deal with Ukraine giving the US access to its mineral wealth
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Israel launches air strike on Beirut suburbs
Speed Read The attack targeting Hezbollah was Israel's third on the Lebanese capital since November's ceasefire
-
Dozens dead in Kashmir as terrorists target tourists
Speed Read Visitors were taking pictures and riding ponies in a popular mountain town when assailants open fired, killing at least 26
-
Israel blames 'failures' for killing of medics
speed read 14 Gaza medics and 1 U.N. employee were killed by IDF special forces
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago