Biden authorizes November strikes on Syria after Iranian-backed attacks on US targets
Photo: Joe Biden, President of the United States (Getty Images)
The US military conducted two strikes on targets in Syria in November. The attacks were carried out in response to assaults by Iranian forces and their proxies on US personnel and coalition facilities in the country, according to US President Joe Biden.
The document provided details on the deployment of US troops in various countries for different missions, particularly within the context of the US campaign to counter-terrorism.
Among other topics, Biden’s report outlined operations conducted alongside allied forces in Syria and Iraq.
The US president stated that he had ordered “discrete strikes on November 11, 2024, and on November 26, 2024, against facilities in Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militia groups.”
These facilities, he said, were used by Iranian forces and their proxies as headquarters, command and control centers, weapons storage sites, training grounds, logistical hubs, and for other purposes.
“These strikes followed attacks against United States personnel and facilities in Syria that threatened the lives of United States personnel and Coalition forces operating alongside United States forces, and that were perpetrated by the IRGC, affiliated militia groups, and other Iran-affiliated groups,” Biden explained.
He added that he authorized the operations as part of his duty to protect US citizens “both at home and abroad” and to advance the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States as prescribed by law.
US counterterrorism operations in Syria and Iraq
Biden noted that since October 7, 2001, US forces have been conducting counterterrorism operations, including actions against al-Qaeda and its affiliates.
He emphasized that under a “comprehensive strategy” to defeat ISIS, US forces have been working with local partners to "conduct operations against ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria and against al-Qa’ida in Syria." These efforts aim to limit the groups' resurgence capabilities and mitigate threats to the US homeland.
“A small presence of United States Armed Forces remains in strategically significant locations in Syria to conduct operations, in partnership with local, vetted ground forces, to address continuing terrorist threats emanating from Syria,” Biden said.
He also noted that US troops in Iraq “continue to advise, assist, and enable select elements of the Iraqi security forces, including Iraqi Kurdish security forces.”
“United States Armed Forces also provide limited support to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization mission in Iraq. United States Armed Forces, as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, remain present in Iraq at the invitation of the Government of Iraq,” Biden added.
Recently, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that American forces conducted strikes on military equipment belonging to unidentified armed groups in eastern Syria. The attack, carried out on December 3, was in self-defense after a US base in the region was targeted.
The US clarified that the events were unrelated to the Syrian opposition’s offensive against forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
