US strikes Iranian-linked weapons facility in Syria following rocket attack on American forces
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had conducted airstrikes on a weapons storage facility in Syria.
CENTCOM’s statement detailed that the operation targeted “an Iranian-backed militia group's weapons storage and logistics headquarters facility. These strikes were in response to a rocket attack on U.S. personnel at Patrol Base Shaddadi.”
Shaddadi is one of the largest US bases in eastern Syria, serves as a logistical hub for US operations, including the “controversial export of local oil resources.”
The earlier attack reportedly caused “no damage to U.S. facilities and no injuries to U.S. or partner forces during the attack.”
CENTCOM emphasized, “These strikes will degrade the Iranian backed groups' ability to plan and launch future attacks on U.S. and Coalition forces who are in the region to conduct D-ISIS operations.”
"We have made it clear that attacks on U.S. personnel, partner forces and facilities will not be tolerated and that we retain the right to defend ourselves. U.S. Central Command, alongside our regional partners, will aggressively pursue any threat to US forces, allies, partners, and security in the region," said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander.
In February, US forces conducted airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, targeting the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and associated armed groups. These strikes are part of the broader tensions between Washington and Tehran, largely driven by geopolitical dynamics in the region. A key source of conflict is the Syrian Civil War, where the US has supported opposition groups against President Bashar al-Assad, while Iran remains a staunch ally of al-Assad regime.
Furthermore, the presence of about 900 US troops in Syria, deployed to support local forces in their fight against Assad, has intensified tensions, particularly as Iranian-backed forces have frequently attacked US personnel. Recent escalations have been further fueled by the ongoing war in Gaza, with Iran-aligned groups in Iraq launching multiple attacks on US bases in both Iraq and Syria in retaliation for US support for Israel.
