US Retaliates 2nd Round of Airstrikes on Iran-Backed Militants as Self-Defense Response

On Wednesday, the US military launched their warplanes for their second strike as a self-defense response to the Iran-backed militants in their weapons storage facility in Eastern Syria.

The weapons storage facility owned by the Iran-backed militants stores dozens of drone and rocket attacks that were used against American troops over the last three weeks.

US Military Launches Second Round of Airstrikes

(Photo : JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
An Israeli military AH-64 Apache attack helicopter fires flares while flying over Ashkelon in southern Israel on August 6, 2022. - Israel hit Gaza with air strikes and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group retaliated with a barrage of rocket fire, in the territory's worst escalation of violence since a war last year. Israel has said it was forced to launch a "pre-emptive" operation against Islamic Jihad, insisting the group was planning an imminent attack following days of tensions along the Gaza border.

In the past two weeks, the recent airstrike was the second strike of the US military, in which two US F-15s conducted a strike against a weapons storage facility.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the attack was based on self-defense as a response to a series of attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that they took necessary, appropriate, deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation and send an unambiguous deterrent message.

According to BBC News, Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) said that four members of one faction were killed and threatened to retaliate to the US military. Blinken added that the strike was President Biden's direction as the president's priority was keeping the US personnel safe. Biden said that the US would continue to defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.

"The United States is fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities. We urge against any escalation. US personnel will continue to conduct counter-ISIS missions in Iraq and Syria," Austin said.

Austin blamed the Iranian authorities for the attacks on US forces. He said that if Iran militants' attacks continued against US forces, the US would not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect their people and their facilities.

Iran-Backed Militants Attack US Forces

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said that Iran-backed militants attacked US forces at least 40 times between October 17 and November 7. On Monday, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder reported that 46 US service members had been diagnosed with signs of traumatic brain injuries or minor wounds such as perforated eardrums, tinnitus, and rolled ankles.

Most troops have returned to their duty, but two were taken to US hospital facilities in Landstuhl, Germany, for further examination and care. Austin said that Iran wanted to hide its hand and deny its role in the recent attacks against US forces, but he assured that the US would not let their guard down.

Mick Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and an ABC contributor, also said that part of any good defense could be recognized as a good offense and to respond to the constant attacks by Iranian-backed and directed groups in a manner that deters further attacks.