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The Trump administration launched large-scale military strikes in Syria on Friday targeting Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites, retaliating for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter nearly a week earlier.
A U.S. official described the operation as a “large-scale” strike that hit roughly 70 targets across central Syria, including IS infrastructure and weapons depots. Another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, said additional strikes are expected.
“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post. “The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”
The strikes mark a significant escalation even as the Trump administration has emphasized a strategic shift toward the Western Hemisphere, where it has increased military activity in the Caribbean targeting alleged drug-smuggling operations and sanctioned oil shipments linked to Venezuela. The U.S. has shifted some resources away from the Middle East to support those efforts, including moving its most advanced aircraft carrier from the Mediterranean to South American waters last month.
Trump vows retaliation
President Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” after last week’s shooting in the Syrian desert, which U.S. officials blame on Islamic State militants. The Americans killed were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the extremist group.
Speaking Friday night at a rally in North Carolina, Trump described the operation as a “massive strike” that eliminated “ISIS thugs in Syria who were trying to regroup.”
Earlier in a social media post, Trump reiterated his support for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, saying the Syrian leader was “fully in support” of the U.S. action.
Trump also issued an all-caps warning directed at Islamic State.
“All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A.,” he wrote.
According to U.S. officials, the strikes involved F-15 Eagle fighter jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters. F-16 fighters operating from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery systems were also used. U.S. Central Command said more than 100 precision-guided munitions were employed.
Syria’s response and regional context
The operation is a major test of warming relations between Washington and Damascus following the ouster of longtime autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has emphasized that Syrian forces are operating alongside U.S. troops and said al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed” by the attack on American personnel.
Syria’s foreign ministry said in a statement on X that the attack underscored the need for stronger international cooperation against terrorism and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to fighting Islamic State and denying it safe havens.
Syrian state television reported that U.S. strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces, as well as the Jabal al-Amour area near the ancient city of Palmyra. The strikes targeted weapons storage facilities and headquarters used by IS, the broadcaster said.
Islamic State has not claimed responsibility for the ambush on U.S. forces, but the group has claimed two subsequent attacks on Syrian security forces, including one that killed four Syrian soldiers in Idlib province. In its statements, IS labeled al-Sharaa’s government “apostate.” While al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with al-Qaida, he has long been an adversary of Islamic State.
Americans killed in the attack
Trump met privately this week with the families of those killed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before attending the dignified transfer ceremony honoring the fallen.
The U.S. service members killed last Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, both members of the Iowa National Guard. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian interpreter, was also killed.
The shooting near Palmyra wounded three additional U.S. troops and several Syrian security personnel. The attacker was killed at the scene.
According to Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba, the assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces two months earlier as a base security guard and had recently been reassigned amid suspicions of possible Islamic State ties.
The gunman opened fire after storming a lunch meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials following a confrontation with Syrian guards.
