14 November 2023

US strikes Iran-affiliated sites in eastern Syria in response to attacks on US bases in Middle East

by Zach Rosenberg

A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron takes off from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, for a deployment to an undisclosed Middle East location on 16 October 2023. (48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)

The US conducted two rounds of strikes against what the Department of Defense (DoD) described as sites used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliates in response to attacks on US bases in Syria and Iraq.

On 8 November two US Air Force (USAF) F-15Es bombed what US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin described in a statement as an IRGC weapons storage facility in Maysalun, Syria. A DoD spokesperson told reporters on 9 November that the strike was on-target and generated “multiple secondary explosions after the strike”.

Attacks continued on 12 November against what the DoD described as a training facility in Abu Kamal and a safe house in Mayadin, Syria. The DoD did not reveal the armed service or platform that performed the 12 November attacks.

“By specifically targeting these associated facilities, we seek to convey a clear message to Iran that we hold it accountable for the attacks on US forces and we expect Iran to take measures to direct its proxies to stop,” the spokesperson said, describing the strikes as “proportional” to strikes against US bases.

A total of 56 US personnel have suffered injuries in a series of 46 small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and rocket attacks against US facilities in Iraq and Syria as of 9 November, according to the DoD. None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, and all service members returned to duty as of 9 November. The DoD declined to reveal to Janes whether additional attacks and casualties have been recorded since then.

The US conducted two rounds of strikes against what the Department of Defense (DoD) described as sit...

Jane's Find unrivaled intelligence, consultancy and advertising solutions to the defence and national security sectors.