Iranian Proxies Focus on Targeting U.S. Bases in Syria

Iran-backed groups attempted to attack a base where U.S. troops are stationed in Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria, using suicide drones, in a move that could escalate tensions in the region amidst continued concerns over an Iranian response to the assassination of Hamas’ political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, and warnings from Washington about the dangers of escalation.

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Local sources reported that Iran-backed groups on the western bank of the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor attempted late Thursday to attack the base inside the Conoco gas field, where U.S. forces are deployed, using suicide drones. The sources indicated that the air defense systems at the base destroyed the drones before they reached their targets.

U.S. army bases in the provinces of Hassakah (northeast) and Deir ez-Zor are frequently targeted by rockets and suicide drones.

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The province of Deir ez-Zor, located on the Syrian-Iraqi border, is a key land connection extending from Iran to Lebanon.

Syrian regime forces regained control of central and western Deir ez-Zor after the terrorist organization ISIS withdrew in November 2017, with support from Iran- and Russia-backed groups.

Iran-backed foreign groups have become a ground force for the Damascus government and are heavily present in Deir ez-Zor, where Sunni Arabs make up the majority of the population. The areas east of the Euphrates River in the province are under the control of U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

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These developments come amid fears of an Iranian response against Israel following the assassination of Haniyeh, with expectations that several militias in the region, including armed groups in Syria, may participate in an attack.

The United States had warned Tehran and its proxies against escalation, asserting its ability to protect its bases and safeguard Israel. Washington sent two aircraft carriers and bolstered its bases with more troops.

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These attacks occurred days after five U.S. soldiers were injured when two Katyusha rockets were fired at the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq, an attack the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) blamed on Iran-backed proxies.

The U.S. maintains 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq, stating that their mission is to advise and assist forces in both countries to prevent the return of ISIS, which had seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014 before being driven back.

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Israel occasionally conducts strikes on sites of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran-backed militias, while Israel itself is frequently targeted by missile and drone attacks, most of which are intercepted.