T owards the end of February 2021, the US military launched airstrikes on Syrian facilities near the Iraqi border targeting Iranian-backed Shia militias. This was US President Biden’s and his administration's first confrontation with Iran. This action was a response to airstrikes on American forces deployed in Syria and Iraq by the so-called proxy groups under the auspices of Iran over the past months.

The result of the rocket attack on the international airport in the Iraqi Kurdistan region Erbil on February 15, 2021, resulted in the deaths of dozens, including personnel in the US military. 14 rockets were fired at US and coalition forces in Erbil, in the North of Iraq. Biden could have avoided the option of a premeditated military action, rather using political or economic impetus but the Pentagon as well as the Israeli lobby had a direct influence on the first foreign policy decision made by Biden and his administration.

Biden’s military response to Tehran was sharply criticized by the US legislators. The fact that the President didn’t consult with legislators and went ahead with military strikes without congressmen’s permission is not constitutional. Tim Kaine, Democrat Senator for Virginia particularly mentioned in his statement, “Military action without congressional approval is not constitutional, congress must be fully briefed on this matter expeditiously.”

Chris Murphy, Democrat Senator of Connecticut, also referred to this issue, noting that he “has natural confidence” in Biden’s national security decision-making and that the targeting of US troops “is unacceptable”. “However, the US retaliatory strikes must fall within the definition of an existing congressional authorization of military force. Congress should hold this administration to the same standard it did to prior administrations, and require clear legal justifications for military action, especially inside theaters like Syria.”

According to the assurances of the Pentagon and other high-ranking officials, the initiative and decision to target Iranian-backed Shitte militias on the Syrian border came from the top. The strikes destroyed several facilities located at the border control points used by a number of Iranian-backed militant groups, including Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada. According to John Kirby, “The operation sends an unambiguous message that President Biden will act to protect American coalition personnel.” [1]

Kirby also stated that Biden authorized the strikes after consulting with US allies, including coalition partners. According to him, the Russian military was also given a warning about the upcoming airstrike. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed a contradictory opinion that the American side had given its warning just a few minutes before.

According to the Pentagon leadership, targeted attempts and actions against the US and coalition armed forces in Iraq have become more frequent hence the choice of location. A day after the US rocket strikes, the Iranian Foreign Ministry responded by strongly condemning it. Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh called the airstrikes a “continuation of constant Zionist regime raids on Syrian soil” referring to Israeli aerial attacks on Syria. Khatibzadeh also noted that the US troop presence in Syria is illegal, accusing Washington of preparing “terrorists”. Syrian leadership in its turn condemned the US actions, describing it as a “bad signal” from the new US administration [2].

Perhaps this was the first mediated rocket strikes by Washington since 2019. Meanwhile Tel Aviv has rather increased its direct or indirect military involvement in Syria. The US strikes are a gameplay during a contentious time between Washington and Tehran who are trying to position themselves for the talks on the nuclear deal. This can complicate the already fragile process. According to some experts, “America may come to some type of agreement with Tehran on the nuclear issue, but will continue to strike militias that follow Iranian-backed groups directly or indirectly” [3]. In fact, Biden’s administration is trying to break the deadlock in negotiations with Iran on the Nuclear deal as well as takes steps to defuse tensions in the region, however the newly-elected President also doesn’t want to take a more compromising position hence the strikes, fearing that the Iranian leadership will immediately take advantage of that reality. 

[1] https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/25/politics/us-iraq

[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56

[3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-syria