AMN
President Joe Biden has warned Iran that the United States would act forcefully to protect Americans. Biden’s statement came after the US military carried out air strikes against Iran-backed forces in retaliation for an attack in Syria.
Later, officials said that another US service member was wounded yesterday in the latest tit-for-tat strike between Iran-backed forces and US personnel in Syria.
It comes on top of seven casualties on Thursday, which Washington blamed on a drone of Iranian origin, and included an American contractor being killed and five US troops and another contractor being wounded. According to two local sources, suspected US rocket fire yesterday targeted new areas in eastern Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria, said the US strikes had killed eight pro-Iranian fighters.
Pro-Iranian forces in Syria said in an online statement said that they have a long arm to respond to further US strikes on their positions. The violence could further aggravate already strained relations between Washington and Tehran.
