Unmanned military drone patrols the territory, flying over the disrtict of city
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US Begins Airstrikes in Syria After American Worker Killed

Thursday afternoon, a strike from a suspected Iranian drone killed an American contractor in Syria. The US has responded by sending airstrikes, targeting regions of Syria used as bases by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Reports from Syria suggest the American response killed at least four people Thursday.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters that military intelligence had good reason to believe the drone strike was ordered by Iranian forces. The military has not yet provided any corroborating evidence for these claims but maintains that this is the case. Five American service members were injured by the drone strike Thursday, prompting the swift response. 

America Striking Back

Thursday’s bombing run was an American response to several purported Iranian attacks. Austin told reporters that the airstrikes were authorized partly due to Thursday’s drone bombing “as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria.” Iran’s military presence in the region is bolstered by proxy groups that move to counter the US and Israel. 

The US has maintained a military presence in Syria since 2015, when troops were mobilized to fight the Islamic State faction that briefly threatened to overtake the country. Since then, the US has maintained a presence of around 900 soldiers in the region to bolster its Kurdish allies. 

US Angles for Control

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is suspected of carrying out numerous drone attacks against American and Israeli targets in recent months. The group could provoke a stronger response from the US military, though, with US Army General Michael Kurilla telling reporters, “We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks.” 

Kurilla recently told legislators that the “Iran of today is exponentially more militarily capable than it was even five years ago.” The general pointed to statistics such as the country’s growing stockpile of ballistics and explosives as a sign that the country’s various proxy militaries could be gearing up for more pronounced fighting.

Tensions Escalate

This cycle of retaliatory strikes comes at an inopportune time for US-Iranian relations, as talks recently stalled out regarding Iran’s controversial nuclear program. The US strongly opposes any additional countries accessing nuclear weapons. 

The back-and-forth airstrikes only throw more cold water on the idea that Washington and Tehran could reach an agreement. Time will tell whether the tensions in the region will escalate to the level of all-out war.