A Pentagon spokesperson stated that “you are seeing and we probably will continue to see groups that may try to exploit the situation [ie, Israel-Gaza war] to benefit their own interests, to include Iranian proxy groups… Our Forces that are in Iraq and Syria are there for one reason only, and that’s the enduring defeat of ISIS. And that’s what they will continue to stay focused on. But if those forces are threatened, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action at a time and place of our choosing to protect those forces… We will make those decisions very deliberately, very thoughtfully, again with the broader objectives in mind of protecting our Forces, and making sure that this does not spin out of control into a broader regional conflict”.