Alex.
Just moments
ago, we
learned of two more attacks,
rocket attacks and a drone attack
against facilities housing U.S.
troops in Syria.
That played out
just over the course of the last
few hours.
First,
a number of rockets were fired
at the Conoco oil fields in central
or eastern Syria.
Again, a facility that houses U.S.
troops.
That, according to a US official
in that attack.
One U.S.
service members was injured
but is in stable condition.
Just a short time after that 31 way
uvs or suicide drones
attacked another facility
not too far away known as Green Village,
also housing U.S. troops.
According to the official,
two of those three drones were shot down.
The other did not injure U.S.
troops based at that facility
or do damage to infrastructure.
But this all happened
very quickly
just within the course of the last
36 or 48 hours.
These are
this is now for attacks within Syria
against bases
and facilities, housing U.S. troops.
The question, of course, now
how does the US
how does the Biden administration respond
to what is quickly escalating
a late night strike in northeast Syria.
Ambulances
rushing to the scene as fire
burns in the distance.
U.S.
striking what officials say
were ammunition depots and intelligence
sites used by
militias linked to Iran's
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The U.S.
called the strike
carried out by two F-15 fighters.
A proportionate and deliberate action
after a one way drone attack
killed an American contractor
earlier Thursday near Hasaka in Syria.
Five U.S.
service members
and another contractor
were wounded in the attack
Early Friday morning, another U.S.
base in Syria coming under attack
from a barrage of ten rockets.
The Pentagon said the U.S.
placing the blame on Iran.
Iran certainly again backs these groups
and by default,
therefore has a responsibility
to ensure that they're not contributing
to insecurity and stability.
But clearly, they continue to do that.
Syria has become a crossroads of conflict
in the Middle East.
Iranian proxies have carried out
rocket and drone attacks against U.S.
forces, and Russia has begun
flying armed fighters over U.S.
positions in the country.
For the U.S.
and its footprint
of about 900 troops in Syria,
the focus remains ISIS.
We don't seek a war with Iran.
We're not
looking for an armed conflict
with that country
or another war in the region.
We do
seek to protect our mission in Syria,
which is about defeating ISIS.
On Thursday, the commander of U.S.
Central Command, General
Eric Parrilla, told
the House Armed Services
Committee hearing
that Iran and its proxies
have fired drones or rockets.
78 times U.S.
forces since the beginning of 20, 21,
nearly one attack every ten days.
So what Iran does to hide its hand
is they use Iranian proxies.
That's that's either UAV
or or rockets
to be able to attack our forces in either
Iraq or Syria.
Are these considered acts of war by Iran?
They are
being done by the
Iranian proxies, is what I would tell
you, Congressman.
The U.S.
has carried out attacks
against Iranian proxies
in Syria
before targeting
either enemy infrastructure
or launch vehicles.
Used to attack U.S.
forces.
So just to review
where the situation stands right now,
within the last couple of hours,
we have seen, again,
two more attacks on facilities in Syria.
Housing U.S. troops.
A number of rockets
launched at the Conoco oil fields
where there are troops
based there, according to a U.S.
official familiar
with the intelligence about the attack.
One service member was injured
but is in stable condition.
And then there were 31
where you have
these are suicide drones
that were launched
against another facility
known as Green Village
that also houses U.S.
troops
Two of those drones were intercepted.
A third damaged a facility there,
but did no injury to U.S.
troops who are stationed there.
The question now, Alex,
how does the Biden administration respond
to this?
General Eric Guerrilla,
the commander of U.S.
Central Command, made it clear that
if Iranian proxies continued to attack,
the U.S.
would very much
reserve the right to respond
and has options to do so.
Let's bring in CNN chief
White House correspondent Phil Mattingly.
He is traveling with the president
in Canada.
Also joining us,
CNN military analyst
and retired Air Force Colonel
Cedric Leighton.
Phil, first to you.
The president did speak
just before we learned this news
about these latest attacks,
about this U.S.
service member
who was injured
What is President Biden saying about
what does appear to be
an escalating tit for tat
You know,
Alex, this
entire trip, well,
it certainly has been focused
on the bilateral relationship
between the U.S.
and Canada
has faced the reality
of this acceleration
with Iranian proxies
since the very start.
The president
finding out about the initial attack
that killed American contractor
and wounded U.S.
servicemen on his way here on Air
Force One was briefed about
that was provided
options by the Pentagon
and made the decision
to give the green light
on the retaliatory strikes
we saw last night,
all while on his way to Canada.
During that press conference
just a short
while ago
was when the reports
of that second and third attack
just today came out.
Now, when the president was asked
about the initial attack,
this was his response
last night, U.S.
military forces
carried out
a series of airstrikes in Syria targeting
those responsible
for attacking our personnel.
My heart and deepest condolences
go out to the family of the American
we lost
and wish a speedy recovery
for those who were wounded.
Make no mistake,
the United States does
not does not emphasize
seek conflict with Iran, but be prepared
to first forcefully protect our people.
That's exactly what happened last night.
And it's been notable U.S.
officials
throughout the course of the day
making clear
they do not want to escalate
any type of situation or conflict
with Iran directly.
But they will respond if necessary.
The question is what defines
if necessary?
It has certainly been when U.S.
troops have been attacked, injured
or killed.
We'll have to see whether or not that's
been the case, the latest attacks
and whether or not that draws
or drives a response
from President Biden.
Yeah, they don't want to escalate.
But Colonel Leighton,
as you just heard
from Oren Liebermann in the Pentagon
for attacks in the past 24 hours
now, yet another U.S.
service member who was who was wounded.
How worried are you about this spiraling
Well, I think,
Alex, that it's a real risk.
You know,
the Iranians have used these proxies
for quite some time.
And the use of proxies
is a way of allowing the Iranians
to wash their hands of things.
But it also means that they are not under
direct control
all the time of the Iranians.
So they could be acting in a way
that could exacerbate the situation
and create some real problems.
And that,
I think, is something
that we have to be concerned about.
Yeah, that is a very important point.
We don't know about the communication
between Tehran
and these Iranian backed proxies.
Phil, I want to go back to you
and something
you just mentioned,
the administration
saying clearly repeatedly
that they don't want escalation
with Iran.
But we have seen Iran
ramping up this aggression
as well as its support
for Russia and their war
in Ukraine, providing those weapons.
So more
generally for this administration,
how much of a growing threat
is Iran becoming
You know, Alex,
and you know this area of the world
quite well.
I'm not sure it ever really
left the table
as a very significant threat,
even if it hasn't been front of mind,
certainly
since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
But as you noted,
the sheer number of drones
and weapons capabilities
that the Iranians
have been providing to
the Russians has been noted
repeatedly by U.S. officials.
Also keep in mind,
it was just over the course
of the last couple of weeks
that it has become clear and very public
just how rapidly
Iran has accelerated its ability
to have that breakout period right now
and how that shifts the context
or how U.S. officials approach this.
They've made very clear
their early stage efforts
to get back into the Iran nuclear
deal are no longer an option.
They haven't laid out
what actually comes next,
but it's very clear
that this is moving back to front of mind
and only seems to be accelerating based
on what
we've seen from their proxies,
at least over the course
of the last 48 hours.
All right. Very worrying developments.
Phil, Colonel
Leighton, I want you to stay with me.
I want to bring in CNN's Fareed Zakaria,
the host of Fareed
Zakaria GPS
Fareed,
thanks so much
for joining us this evening.
After this latest strike on these U.S.
forces, which again
wounded at least one U.S. service member.
How concerned are you about the
possibility of escalation?
Very concerned, Alex.
Look, the situation is very,
very dangerous,
largely because the United States
and Iran
have the worst relations
they have had in decades.
And, you know,
that's saying something
because they've never had
particularly good relations
But let me remind us
all of a little bit
of historical context.
If you go back just six or seven years
and say,
you know,
the last years
of the Obama administration,
even the first year of the Trump
administration,
Iran was actually helping
the United States defeat ISIS in Iraq.
Iran was sending its militias to do that.
It was adhering to the nuclear deal.
It was observing the limits.
And the U.S.
was in dialog with
then Trump pulls out of the deal.
Iran now sees itself in a box.
Its economy is squeezed, it is desperate,
and it is searching for ways
to, in a sense, show
that it has some capacity.
And that capacity is largely
for troublemaking.
It is unleashing
more of these militias over,
which has even the US government admits
it doesn't have perfect control.
And it's always played a nasty game
with militias like Hezbollah
and the ones in Syria.
So the whole situation is one
which Iran doesn't
have a lot to gain from,
from stabilizing the situation.
The United States, entirely
justifiably has to respond
when its forces are threatened.
But you put that all together
and it's a powder keg
How much do you think that
this is going to change U.S.
priorities in the Middle East, Fareed,
especially as China and Russia
try to
expand their influence in the region
the Middle East has this affect.
You know,
it's like the line out of Godfather
three where
Michael Corleone says,
I keep trying to get out
of the family business
and you keep pulling me back
the Middle East is like that business.
You know, the U.S.
gets drawn back in because of things
like this violence,
violence against American soldiers.
There's instability.
You can tell that
the Biden administration is trying
to keep this as
as common,
as in control,
precisely for the reason
you were outlining it.
The Biden administration believes
it has bigger fish to fry.
And strategically, that's exactly right.
But there is a reality,
a tactic makes things implode.
If there is the optics
of American soldiers under fire.
The Biden
people will have to do something.
But so far,
I think they're trying their
best to maintain that focus.