The United States launched this Thursday two attacks against installations related to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in the east of Syria, according to the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, in a statement. For its part, Iran is preparing to carry out large-scale military maneuvers. Everything happens in the midst of an escalation with the conflict between Israel and Gaza.

Likewise, the bombings occur after the Pentagon has confirmed that at least a contractor has died in a cardiac incident while taking shelter and 21 US soldiers have suffered minor injuries in several drone attacks by pro-Iran militias in Iraq and Syria since October 17.

The Pentagon has not offered more details about the possible casualties of its attacks in eastern Syria this Thursday, which it has defined as precision bombing in self defense. “If attacks by Iranian proxies against US forces continue, we will not hesitate to take the necessary measures to protect our people,” she warned. Before, he had also assured that he does not have “intention or desire to participate in further hostilities“.

“But these Iranian-backed attacks against US forces are unacceptable and they must stop. Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. “We will not let them,” he insisted. The secretary has also made it clear that these attacks are not related to the answer US to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In addition, it has asked all countries to avoid taking measures that could contribute to the war spreading to other regions.

Iran conducts large-scale military exercises

For its part, the Iranian Armed Forces They will carry out large-scale military maneuvers with armored vehicles, artillery, missiles, helicopters and drones in the coming days, amid tensions in the region due to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The military exercises will last two days and will be carried out in the province of Isfahan, in the center of the country, the Tasnim agency reported this Friday. linked to the Revolutionary Guard.

The Army reported that one of the maneuvers that will be carried out will involve 200 helicopters, but He did not offer further details.. Iran celebrated the attack by Hamas, a group it supportsand has warned on numerous occasions of the danger of the conflict spreading if Israel does not stop the bombing of Gaza.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel are bitter enemies, pose a mutual existential threat, compete for regional hegemony and maintain a covert war with cyberattacks, assassinations and sabotage. Tehran leads informal coalition markedly anti-Israel known as the Axis of Resistance, which also includes Hamas, the Lebanese group Hezbollah and Islamic Jihadin addition to other Palestinian, Iraqi or Yemeni militias.

Some of these militias have attacked US positions in recent days, to which the United States responded this Thursday with bombings against facilities linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Syria.