U.S. forces based in Iraq and Syria have been attacked more than a dozen times by Iranian proxies in the Middle East within the last two weeks, according to the Department of Defense.
Between Oct. 17 and Oct. 26, U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least a dozen times in Iraq, while troops in Syria have been attacked four times in that period via a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Thursday. He declined to name the group or groups responsible for the attacks specifically but said they are "affiliated with Iran."
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Between Oct. 17-18, 21 U.S. service members were injured, albeit not severely, in attacks at Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq and at the al Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria. Everyone who was injured has since returned to duty. Seventeen troops were injured at al Tanf, 15 of whom were diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, while four service members at Al-Asad Air Base suffered a TBI.
The most recent attack against U.S. troops occurred on Thursday at Erbil Air Base in Iraq.
A U.S. contractor died at Al-Asad Air Base after suffering cardiac arrest last week when an early warning system detected another possible threat sending people to scramble for shelter.
The attacks over the last week come as the Pentagon has surged U.S. personnel and weaponry to the Middle East amid the growing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Roughly 900 U.S. troops have been deployed or are in the process of being deployed, Ryder added, though they are not going to Israel specifically.
"Deployed and deploying units include a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery from Fort Bliss, Texas, Patriot batteries from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Patriot and Avenger batteries from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and associated air defense headquarters elements from Fort Bliss and Fort Cavazos, Texas," he said.
The United States is also providing Israel with the two Iron Dome systems currently in U.S. possession. The system is Israel's primary air defense system for short-range missiles and rocket fire. It has a successful interception rate above 90%, though it can be overwhelmed if enough rockets are fired simultaneously.
U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden, have warned Iran against getting involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict either directly or through its proxies in the region. Biden also warned that the U.S. would respond if Iranian proxies attacked U.S. troops, and National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said on Thursday that "there was a direct message relayed" to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"My warning to the ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond, and he should be prepared. It has nothing to do with Israel," Biden said on Wednesday.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke in New York at the United Nations on Thursday, where he warned the U.S. of "uncontrollable consequences" regarding its support for Israel.
Israeli leaders have declared their intent to destroy Hamas, the Iranian-backed terror group that controls the Gaza Strip. Hamas is primarily responsible for the largest terror attack in Israel's history earlier this month that left roughly 1,400 people dead, the vast majority of whom were civilians. The terrorists also took more than 200 people hostage, and only four have been released so far.