Biden Admin Pauses Airstrike Usage… For Now

(Republicaninformer.com)- On Monday, officials from the Biden administration said the US military was ready to respond to any new threats to US military personnel in Syria after the weekend passed without additional attacks from Iranian-backed militias, the New York Times reported.

At the same time, administration officials appear eager to avoid escalating the back-and-forth strikes into a broader conflict with Iran and its proxies in Syria while keeping its focus on the primary mission of rooting out the remaining pockets of ISIS fighters in the region, according to the Times.

In a press briefing on Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the US will do what is needed to “swiftly and boldly” protect US personnel and facilities in Syria. Kirby said the US mission to go after Islamic State in Syria would not be “deterred.”

The previous week, the US carried out a series of air strikes against Iranian-backed militias after a drone attack on a coalition base near Hasakah in northeastern Syria killed one American and wounded six others.

The following day, it was reported that militias launched subsequent attacks on two separate coalition bases in the region, wounding one US service member.

Currently, the US has around 900 troops and hundreds of contractors in Syria who are working with Kurdish fighters to tamp down any resurgence of Islamic State.

Since 2021, there have been over 80 attacks by Iranian-backed militias on US forces in the region.

After the March 24 retaliatory strike, President Biden attempted to ease concerns that the back-and-forth strikes between militias and US forces could escalate while simultaneously warning Iran to keep its proxies in line.

During his state visit to Canada last Friday, the president emphasized that the United States is not seeking “conflict with Iran.” But he warned Tehran that it should be “prepared” for the United States to “act forcefully” to protect US forces in Syria.