The Pentagon reported that a suspected Iranian drone struck a building on a coalition base in northeast Syria on Thursday, leaving one American contractor dead and six American service members and one other American contractor injured.
Videos posted on social media overnight claimed to show explosions in Deir Ez-Zor, a vital area of Syria that borders Iraq and has oil deposits.
Syrian army and militia groups supported by Iran are in charge of the region, which has also recently been the focus of alleged Israeli bombings aimed at Iranian supply channels.
The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard of Iran, which reports directly to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, has been accused of conducting drone assaults across the larger Middle East. Russia has started utilizing Iranian drones in its attacks in recent months.
As Saudi Arabia and Iran strive to reopen embassies in each other’s nations, the attack and the U.S. response pose a threat to recent attempts in the region to deescalate tensions. The monarchy also confirmed plans to reopen its embassy in Syria, whose President Bashar Assad, who is under fire, enjoys Iran’s support in the protracted conflict in his nation.
The commander of the US military’s Central Command, U.S. Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, cautioned that American forces may launch additional strikes if necessary. In a statement, Kurilla stated that “we are prepared for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks.”
Syrian government-run No strikes were immediately acknowledged by SANA news agency. The Syrian mission to the UN did not right away respond to a request for comment.
There was no immediate reaction from Iran over the strikes, which come during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Qatar’s state-run news agency reported a call between its foreign minister and Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser. Doha has been an interlocutor between Iran and the U.S. recently amid tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Qatar’s foreign minister also spoke around the same time with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
