The US military launched air strikes early Friday on two sites in eastern Syria linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the Pentagon said, in response to a series of drone and missile attacks against US bases and personnel in the region that began early. last week.

According to experts, the United States “seeks to strike Iranian-backed groups suspected of targeting the United States as hard as possible to deter future aggression, possibly fueled by Israel’s war against Hamas, while also working to avoid inflaming the region and provoking a broader conflict.”

According to the Pentagon, there have been at least 12 attacks on American bases and personnel in Iraq and four in Syria since October 17, resulting in the injury of 21 American soldiers who were injured in two of those attacks that used drones to target Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq and its garrison. Al-Tanf in Syria.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement, “The precision strikes are self-defense and are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against Americans in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militias that began on October 17.”

He said President Joe Biden launched the narrowly tailored strikes “to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its people, and its interests.” He added that the operation is separate and distinct from Israel's war against Hamas.

Austin explained, "The strikes are intended only to protect and defend our forces in Iraq and Syria," adding, "They are separate from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach toward the conflict between Israel and Hamas."

The US Secretary of Defense pledged to continue "urging all governmental and non-governmental parties not to take actions that would lead to a broader regional conflict."

Austin reiterated that Washington “will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself and its interests,” noting that “the United States does not seek conflict and has no intention or desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against the forces America is unacceptable and must stop.”

He stressed that Iran wants to "hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces, and we will not allow that. If Iranian proxies' attacks against our forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further measures to protect our people."

Earlier Thursday, the Pentagon said that about 900 additional American forces are heading to the Middle East or have recently arrived there to strengthen defenses in order to protect American soldiers in light of the escalation of attacks in the region from groups loyal to Iran.

The Biden administration has not accused Iran of having a direct role in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, and said that so far it appears that Tehran was not aware of it in advance. But the United States has noted that Iran has long supported Hamas and has raised concerns that Iran and its proxies could turn the conflict into a broader war.

Austin said the United States is not seeking a broader conflict, but if Iranian proxy groups persist, the United States will not hesitate to take additional measures to protect its forces.

According to the Pentagon, all American personnel who were injured in the armed attacks suffered minor injuries and all returned to duty. Additionally, one contractor suffered a cardiac arrest and died while seeking shelter from a possible drone attack.

The retaliatory strikes were not surprising, as officials at the Pentagon and the White House had made clear over the past week that the United States would respond, with Ryder again saying on Thursday that it would be “at a time and place of our choosing.”