The US military launched airstrikes early Friday on two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Pentagon said, in retaliation for a slew of drone and missile attacks against US bases and personnel in the region that began early last week.
The US strikes reflect the Biden administration’s determination to maintain a delicate balance. The US wants to hit Iranian-backed groups suspected of targeting the US as strongly as possible to deter future aggression, possibly fueled by Israel’s war against Hamas, while also working to avoid inflaming the region and provoking a wider conflict.
Information about the specific targets and other details were not yet provided.
According to the Pentagon, there have been at least 12 attacks on US bases and personnel in Iraq and four in Syria since Oct. 17. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said 21 US personnel were injured in two of those assaults that used drones to target Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq and Al-Tanf Garrison in Syria.
In a statement, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the “precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17.”
He said President Joe Biden directed the narrowly tailored strikes “to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.” And he added that the operation was separate and distinct from Israel’s war against Hamasa.
Austin said the US does not seek a broader conflict, but if Iranian proxy groups continue, the US won’t hesitate to take additional action to protect its forces.
According to the Pentagon, all the US personnel hurt in the militant attacks received minor injuries and all returned to duty. In addition, a contractor suffered a cardiac arrest and died while seeking shelter from a possible drone attack.
The retaliatory strikes came as no surprise. Officials at the Pentagon and the White House have made it clear for the past week that the US would respond, with Ryder saying again Thursday that it would be “at the time and place of our choosing.”
“I think we’ve been crystal clear that we maintain the inherent right of defending our troops and we will take all necessary measures to protect our forces and our interests overseas,” he told reporters during a Pentagon briefing earlier in the day.
The latest spate of strikes by the Iranian-linked groups came in the wake of a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital, triggering protests in a number of Muslim nations. The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for the devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel nearly three weeks ago, but Israel has denied responsibility for the Al-Ahli hospital blast and the US has said its intelligence assessment found that Tel Aviv was not to blame.
The US, including the Pentagon, has repeatedly said any strike response by America would be directly tied to the attacks on the troops, and not connected to the war between Israel and Hamas. Such retaliation and strikes against Iranian targets in Syria after similar attacks on US bases are routine.
In March, for example, the US struck sites in Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard after an Iranian-linked attack killed a US contractor and wounded seven other Americans in northeast Syria. American F-15 fighter jets flying out of Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar struck several locations around Deir Ezzor.
US officials have routinely stressed that the American response is designed to be proportional, and is aimed at deterring strikes against US personnel who are focused on the fight against the Daesh group.
US officials have not publicly tied the recent string of attacks in Syria and Iraq to the violence in Gaza, but Iranian officials have openly criticized the US for providing weapons to Israel that have been used to strike Gaza, resulting in civilian death.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, has beefed up air defenses in the region to protect US forces. The US has said it is sending several batteries of Patriot missile systems, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and additional fighter jets.
The THAAD is being sent from Fort Bliss, Texas, and the Patriot batteries are from Fort Liberty in North Carolina and Fort Sill in Oklahoma. An Avenger air defense system from Fort Liberty is also being sent.
Officials have said as much as two battalions of Patriots are being deployed. A battalion can include at least three Patriot batteries, which each have six to eight launchers.
Ryder said Thursday that about 900 troops have deployed or are in the process of going to the Middle East region, including those associated with the air defense systems.
US strikes two sites used by Iranian forces in Syria: Pentagon
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US strikes two sites used by Iranian forces in Syria: Pentagon
- There have been at least 12 attacks on US bases and personnel in Iraq and four in Syria since Oct. 17, says Pentagon
Arab nations call for peace, renewal of Arab Peace Initiative on final day of UN 2-state solution conference
- Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit decries ‘high price we are all paying for the system of apartheid and occupation to remain’ in Gaza, and says for Palestinians it is ‘a price paid in blood’
- Omani representative accuses Israel of unilaterally ‘eroding’ prospects for peace in ‘defiance of the provisions of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy’
Arab nations issued a unified call to end the violence in Gaza and the West Bank on Wednesday, reiterating their strongest endorsement yet of the Arab Peace Initiative as the only viable framework for regional peace and stability.
“What we’re seeing today in Gaza, the withdrawal of stability and security in the region, is indeed the outcome of the ongoing occupation,” said a representative of the Arab League, delivering a statement on behalf of the organization’s secretary-general, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
“This is the price being paid by Palestinians, a price paid in blood.”
He described the toll as “an extremely high price that we are all paying for the system of apartheid and occupation to remain on this land,” adding that the League remains committed to the Arab Peace Initiative, which was initially adopted in Beirut, 23 years ago.
“This vision hasn’t, however, been reciprocated. Rather, it has been countered by arrogance and nationalism based on religious sectarian views that will lead the region to an unknown future,” he said.
The comments came at the conclusion of the “High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution” at the UN headquarters in New York.
Oman echoed the sentiment, with its representative reaffirming that “comprehensive and lasting peace” must be grounded in the framework of international law, as outlined in the Arab Peace Initiative.
In a position similar to that adopted by other nations during the conference, the Omani representative accused Israel of unilaterally “eroding” the prospects for peace, in what he described as “defiance of the provisions of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy.”
He continued: “The nature of the current Israeli government’s policies, as the most extreme in decades, further complicates the landscape and directly hampers all effort to relaunch the peace process.”
The Gulf Cooperation Council reiterated its position of support for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, condemned the continuing Israeli aggression against Gaza, and demanded that it end.
The council’s representative said it also rejected Israeli settlement policies as a blatant violation, and called for full humanitarian access in Gaza and reconstruction of the territory to begin.
“True greatness is not based on power but on the ability to use power to serve justice,” he added. “It is time to turn this principle into (a) clear international position that recognizes (a) fully independent Palestinian state.”
The representative for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation joined the others in advocating for a two-state solution, and stressed the need for Israeli authorities to act in accordance with UN resolutions.
Israel is guilty of “systemic crimes including aggression, genocide, destruction, displacement, starvation and blockade on the Gaza Strip,” he added, in addition to “illegal policies of settlement expansion, annexation and ethnic cleansing.”
Moreover, Israel’s intention “to impose its so-called sovereignty over the West Bank, including the occupied city of Jerusalem … constitutes flagrant violations of international law and the relevant UN resolutions,” the representative said as he called for an end to all such actions.
The calls came as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the conflict in Gaza has reached “breaking point.” International pressure for a ceasefire agreement continues to mount but Israel has resisted calls to halt its military operations, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly moving ahead with plans to annex parts of Gaza if Hamas rejects a truce.
On Wednesday, sources said Israel had turned down the latest ceasefire proposal, citing its refusal to withdraw forces from key areas of the territory.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, described this week’s UN conference as “a political circus” against Israel.
“We’re seeing a detachment from reality, the spread of lies, and support for terrorism,” he wrote in a message posted on social media platform X.
The US special envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, was expected to arrive in Tel Aviv on Thursday for talks with Israeli officials. His visit comes as the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warns that the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in Gaza.
Iran’s representative at the UN also spoke on the final day of the conference, condemning a “policy of appeasement” from the international community toward Israel, and calling for concrete action.
“In light of its continued defiance of the UN Charter, the Israeli regime must face targeted sanctions and suspension of its UN membership to protect the integrity and credibility of the organization,” the he said.
He further urged member states to press the Security Council to admit Palestine as a full member of the UN and insisted that “this process must not be obstructed by the United States.” Palestine currently has observer status at the UN.
A follow-up summit to this week’s conference is planned to take place during the UN General Assembly in September.
UN expert on torture demands end to ‘lethal, inhumane, degrading’ starvation of civilians in Gaza
- Alice Jill Edwards says prolonged calorie deprivation is causing malnutrition, organ failure and death, particularly among vulnerable groups such as infants and pregnant women
- ‘Constantly changing rules, militarized distributions, and daily and hourly uncertainty about when one is going to access these basic necessities is causing utter despair, stress and trauma’
NEW YORK CITY: The UN’s special rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the growing number of starvation-related deaths among Palestinians in Gaza.
She described the starving of civilians as ‘lethal, inhumane and degrading,’ and called for the rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the battered enclave.
“Depriving people of food, water and dignity has been a serious and recurring violation of this war and it must end,” she said, citing “shocking” reports of people being killed while queuing for food, as well as widespread hunger and malnutrition.
The risk of all-out famine in Gaza is escalating, she added, stressing that all parties to the conflict have legal obligations under international law to ensure civilians under their control have access to food and water, and to facilitate humanitarian operations.
“They must not steal, divert or willfully impede the distribution of aid,” Edwards said.
She detailed the “catastrophic physiological consequences” of prolonged calorie deprivation, including malnutrition, organ failure and death, particularly among vulnerable groups such as infants and pregnant women.
“The psychological impact of being deprived of food and water is inherently cruel,” she added.
“Constantly changing rules, militarized distributions and daily and hourly uncertainty about when one is going to access these basic necessities is causing utter despair, stress and trauma.”
She welcomed a recent announcement by Israel of humanitarian pauses in military operations to allow the World Food Programme to deliver aid throughout Gaza over a planned three-month period, but said “more must be done” to end the hostilities and establish long-term peace based on a two-state solution.
“No one should have to suffer the humiliation of being forced to beg for food, and especially not when there are ample supplies waiting to be provided,” she said.
Edwards also reiterated her call for the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages, the release of arbitrarily detained Palestinians, and for independent investigations into allegations of torture, ill-treatment and other potential war crimes by all parties.
She said she has raised her concerns repeatedly with relevant authorities and continues to press for full accountability.
Special rapporteurs are part of what is known as the special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council. They are independent experts who work on a voluntary basis, are not members of UN staff and are not paid for their work.
Iraqi authorities smash drug-smuggling ring in Damascus and seize 1.3m captagon capsules
- The haul, worth millions of dollars on the street, was recovered during a special operation carried out in collaboration with Syrian counterparts
LONDON: Iraqi authorities said that they have dismantled a criminal network in the Syrian capital Damascus involved in international drug trafficking.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry’s General Directorate of Drug Affairs revealed that officers seized more than 1.3 million capsules of captagon, an amphetamine-type stimulant, during a special operation carried out in collaboration with their Syrian counterparts. The haul weighed about 215 kilograms and had a street value of millions of dollars.
Because the operation took place outside of Iraq, approval was obtained from the Rusafa Central Investigative Court in Baghdad. It was carried out under the supervision of Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, and its interior minister, Abdul Amir Al-Shammari.
The ministry said the operation was the result of thorough intelligence efforts and information from reliable sources, obtained in collaboration with the Syrian Anti-Narcotics Department.
It represented a significant advance in global efforts to address cross-border threats, the ministry added, and demonstrated Iraq’s commitment to protecting the public from drug trafficking.
Malta says it will recognize the state of Palestine, joining France and possibly Britain
- Cutajar said Malta has long supported self-determination for the Palestinian people
- “It is for this reason that the government of Malta has taken the principled decision to formally recognize the state of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September”
UNITED NATIONS: Malta told a high-level UN meeting Wednesday that it will formally recognize the state of Palestine in September, joining France and the United Kingdom in stepping up pressure to end the nearly 80-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Christopher Cutajar, the permanent secretary at Malta’s Foreign Ministry, made the announcement at the UN General Assembly’s meeting on a two-state solution to the conflict which has been extended to a third day because of the high number of countries wanting to speak.
Cutajar said Malta has long supported self-determination for the Palestinian people, and “as responsible actors, we have a duty to work to translate the concept of a two-state solution from theory into practice.”
“It is for this reason that the government of Malta has taken the principled decision to formally recognize the state of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September,” he said.
Malta says it wants a ‘lasting peace’ in Mideast
Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela earlier announced the decision by his country, a former British colony, to recognize a Palestinian state on Facebook, saying it is part of the nation’s efforts “for a lasting peace in the Middle East.”
The Mediterranean island nation and European Union member will join more than 145 countries, including over a dozen European nations, in recognizing the state of Palestine.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced ahead of this week’s meeting that his country will recognize the state of Palestine at the annual gathering of world leaders at the 193-member General Assembly which starts Sept. 23.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday that Britain would recognize the state of Palestine before September’s meeting, but would refrain if Israel agrees to a ceasefire and long-term peace process in the next eight weeks.
France and Britain are the biggest Western powers and the only two members of the Group of Seven major industrialized nations to make such a pledge. Israel opposes a two-state solution and is boycotting the meeting along with its closest ally, the United States.
Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, on Tuesday sharply criticized about 125 countries participating in the conference and new recognitions of a Palestinian state, saying “there are those in the world who fight terrorists and extremist forces and then there are those who turn a blind eye to them or resort to appeasement.”
“While our hostages are languishing in Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza, these countries choose to engage in hollow statements instead of investing their efforts in their release,” Danon said. “This is hypocrisy and a waste of time that legitimizes terrorism and distances any chance of regional progress.”
Malta’s Cutajar countered that “recognition is not merely symbolic – it is a concrete step toward the realization of a just and lasting peace.”
Quick action is urged
High-level representatives at the UN conference on Tuesday urged Israel to commit to a Palestinian state and gave “unwavering support” to a two-state solution, and they urged all countries that haven’t recognized the state of Palestine to do so quickly.
The seven-page “New York Declaration” sets out a phased plan to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the ongoing war in Gaza. The plan would culminate with an independent, demilitarized Palestine living side by side peacefully with Israel, and their eventual integration into the wider Mideast region.
A separate one-page statement titled the “New York Call” approved late Tuesday by 15 Western nations says they have recognized, “expressed or express the willingness or the positive consideration ... to recognize the state of Palestine, as an essential step toward the two-state solution, and invite all countries that have not done so to join this call.”
It included six that have recognized the state of Palestine and nine others including Malta, Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Portugal and San Marino.
UN says Gaza aid delivery conditions ‘far from sufficient’
- OCHA also said fuel deliveries were nowhere near what is needed
- OCHA warned that four days into Israel’s “tactical pauses,” deaths due to hunger and malnutrition were still occurring
GENEVA: The United Nations’ humanitarian agency said Wednesday that the conditions for delivering aid into Gaza were “far from sufficient” to meet the immense needs of its “desperate, hungry people.”
OCHA also said fuel deliveries were nowhere near what is needed to keep health, emergency, water and telecommunications services running in the besieged Palestinian territory.
This week, Israel launched daily pauses in its military operations in some parts of the Gaza Strip and opened secure routes to enable UN agencies and other aid groups to distribute food in the densely populated territory of more than two million.
However, these pauses alone “do not allow for the continuous flow of supplies required to meet immense needs levels in Gaza,” OCHA said in an update.
“While the UN and its partners are taking advantage of any opportunity to support people in need during the unilateral tactical pauses, the conditions for the delivery of aid and supplies are far from sufficient,” the agency said.
“For example, for UN drivers to access the Kerem Shalom crossing — a fenced-off area — Israeli authorities must approve the mission, provide a safe route through which to travel, provide multiple ‘green lights’ on movement, as well as a pause in bombing, and, ultimately, open the iron gates to allow them to enter.”
OCHA warned that four days into Israel’s “tactical pauses,” deaths due to hunger and malnutrition were still occurring, as were casualties among those seeking aid.
“Desperate, hungry people” continue to offload the small amounts of aid from the trucks that are able to exit the crossings, it said.
“Current fuel entries are insufficient to meet life-saving critical needs and represent a drop in the ocean,” it added.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative — a group of monitors who advise the UN on impending crises — said Tuesday the worst-case scenario of famine was now unfolding in Gaza.
OCHA called for all crossings into Gaza to open, and a broad range of humanitarian and commercial supplies to be allowed in.
