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Implications of the U.S. Strike on Iranian Proxies in Syria
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Michael Knights - On Feb. 26, U.S. aircraft bombed an east Syrian base used by Iran-backed Iraqi militias in response to the Feb. 15 rocket attack on Erbil International Airport, where the U.S.-led coalition has a major base. The Syria strike followed a U.S. complaint and warning sent to the Iranian government via backchannels. This first use of force by President Biden shows that the U.S. will use the military instrument to restore deterrence even as it prepares for nuclear talks with Tehran. The U.S. air operation in Abu Kamal, a Syrian district on the Iraqi border, targeted the most important zone of concentration for Iran-backed Iraqi militias in Syria, which has been struck repeatedly by Israel and (separately) the U.S. since 2018. This area - particularly the Iranian-built Imam Ali Base Complex - has been used to store Iranian rockets, drones, and the military industrial equipment needed to make and maintain them. One of the strike's key messages is that judicious use of the military instrument remains in the U.S. toolkit under the new Democratic administration. The administration intended to send a message to Iran and its proxies that attacks on U.S. persons will not be tolerated, and such attacks must stop if negotiations on sanctions relief are to succeed. The writer is a senior fellow of The Washington Institute.