Al-Tanf, Syria

CENTCOM Commander Kenneth McKenzie described Iran as “the greatest single day-to-day threat to regional security and stability”, noting that “the risk of miscalculation and escalation remains high because of Iran's strategic calculation that it can simultaneously and discretely engage in diplomacy with and a proxy campaign against the U.S.”. McKenzie's statement to a Senate committee further addressed the role of Iran and Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Iran’s UN ambassador told the Security Council that “the fight against terrorism cannot be used as an excuse to undermine Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The illegal presence of foreign forces in parts of Syria which has provided favorable conditions for terrorist activities in Syria, must end immediately”. The Iranian diplomat further denounced Israel’s “repeated violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity… We call on the Security Council to hold this regime accountable for such acts of aggression and its malign activities as well as its open threats to use force against other regional countries”. The following day, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, met with his Syrian counterpart.

President Biden announced that “we have taken off the battlefield… the leader of ISIS” as the result of a military operation in north-western Syria.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reaffirmed that “we continue to believe that now is not the time for normalisation [with Syria under Assad]. Now continues to be the time for accountability for the atrocities of the regime”.

The U.S.’s UN envoy told the Security Council that Washington’s goals in Syria included “sustaining the U.S. and Coalition campaign to prevent the resurgence of ISIS… [and] to support a political process, one led by the Syrian people, as envisioned and agreed by this Council in Resolution 2254”. During the same session, Iran’s ambassador maintained that “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria continues to be seriously violated either through the occupation of parts of the country or by the aggression of the Israeli regime and the terrorists… While the Syrian crisis has no military solution, it cannot also come to an end without ending its occupation, restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity and confronting the threat of terrorism”.

The U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition reported that its “forces were targeted… by eight rounds of indirect fire at Green Village, a Syrian Democratic Forces base with a small Coalition advisory presence, in north east Syria”; minor damage was reported. In response, according to the statement, the coalition “fired six rounds of artillery towards the point of origin of the attack... The Iran-supported malign actors fired on the Coalition and SDF from within civilian infrastructure”. The statement added that “hours before the attack, Coalition forces observed several launch sites of indirect fire rockets that posed an imminent threat in the vicinity of Green Village. Acting in self-defence, Coalition forces conducted several strikes to eliminate the observed threats”. A coalition official underscored that “the Coalition reserves the right to defend itself and partner forces against any threat”, while noting: “the Coalition continues to see threats against our forces in Iraq and Syria by militia groups that are backed by Iran”.

The U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition struck what the Pentagon described as an area it believed was “going to be used as launch sites for attacks on Green Village”, a coalition base in north-eastern Syria.

An Iranian diplomat told the Security Council that it “must compel the Israeli regime to end the occupation of the Syrian Golan and also stop immediately its aggressions against Syria”, adding: “all occupying and uninvited foreign forces must leave that country without any precondition or further delay”.

CENTCOM reported that the U.S.-led coalition had spotted two drones over the deconfliction zone; one was “assessed as demonstrating hostile and was shot down” and the other “was not engaged and likely left the area”.

The U.S. designated “two Syrian Air Force officers responsible for chemical weapons attacks on civilians, and three Syrian intelligence officers in Syria’s repressive security and intelligence apparatus”.  

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan assessed that “since Donald Trump made the decision to pull the U.S. out of the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2018, Hizbollah has continued to menace Lebanon and the region. Iran’s proxies in Iraq and Syria and Yemen have continued to move forward. So, not being in the nuclear deal has hardly been a solution to the proxy”. He further asserted that “nothing about the nuclear deal stops the U.S.’s capacity to deal with those proxies. And we are prepared to do so”, adding: “ultimately, an Iran with a nuclear weapon is going to be a greater menace in partnerships with its proxies than Iran without one. And so it is our determination to ensure they never get a nuclear weapon, and diplomacy is the best way forward”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian met with his Syrian counterpart and noted “the need for special focus on promoting economic and trade relations”. He further denounced “the Zionist [ie, Israeli] regime’s aggression against Syria”, and charachterised “the military presence of foreign forces without coordination with and permission from the Syrian government as a source of insecurity in the region, particularly in Syria”. The Syrian minister also met with President Raisi, who asserted that “comprehensive planning should be done to develop and deepen relations”.

The U.S. State Department underscored that “terrorist groups like ISIS in Syria directly threaten U.S. national security and the Syrian people. The U.S. remains committed to the military mission against ISIS. We will maintain our mission in Syria until the threat posed by the terrorist group is eliminated”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “the occupation of parts of Syria by foreign forces must come to an end... all occupying and uninvited foreign forces must leave that country without any precondition or further delay”. He further urged the Council to “compel the Israeli regime to end the occupation of the Syrian Golan and also stop immediately its aggressions against Syria”. The official also denounced “in the strongest terms” the killing of a former Syrian lawmaker, which he attributed to Israel, “as well as all violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria by the Israeli regime”, noting “Syria’s inherent right to self-defence and to respond at a time and place of its choosing”.

U.S. Central Command confirmed “a deliberate and coordinated attack” at al-Tanf, which “utilised both unmanned aerial systems and indirect fire”. A CENTCOM spokesperson stated that “we are not aware of any injuries to U.S. personnel at this time”, going on to assert that “we maintain the inherent right of self-defence and will respond at a time and place of our choosing”. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarked that “keeping violence down; increasing humanitarian assistance and focusing our military efforts on any terrorist groups that pose a threat to us or to our partners, with the intent and capacity to do that… are going to be the critical areas of focus for us, and they’re also, I think, important to advancing a broader political settlement to the Syrian conflict consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. He further noted that “what we have not done and what we do not intend to do is to express any support for efforts to normalise relations or rehabilitate Mr. Assad, or lifted a single sanction on Syria or changed our position to oppose the reconstruction of Syria until there is irreversible progress toward a political solution”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian visited Damascus and met with President Bashar al-Assad and other senior Syrian officials. During his trip, Amirabdollahian asserted that “our ties with Syria are strategic and we are trying to expand our cooperation with the country in all fields. Syria is on the path of development and progress, and on this path, Iran will strongly stand by Damascus, as it did during the war on terrorists”.

A spokesperson for the U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition indicated that “the coalition continues to foster our partnership with Maghawir a-Thawra as working and training together [to] present a strong and unified front that is capable of deterring a Daesh resurgence and any potential threat in and around al-Tanf Garrison”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian visited Syria and met with senior officials including President Bashar al-Assad. According to a Syrian readout, the two conferred on, inter alia, “steps… to enhance bilateral cooperation with the aim of reaching a higher level of partnerships at various levels, particularly in the economic and trade fields, in a way that enables the two peoples to continue facing the repercussions of the blockade and sanctions imposed on the two countries”.

The U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition reported that “Coalition aircraft successfully engaged and defeated a UAS through air to air engagement” in eastern Syria; unnamed officials were cited as saying that the drone was Iranian.

The U.S. announced that it had “applied the measures authorised in Section 3 of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act” against, inter alia, Kataeb Hizbollah, Asaeb Ahl al-Haq and Lebanese Hizbollah.

The U.S. designated “eight Syrian prisons run by the Assad regime’s intelligence apparatus… and five senior security officials of regime entities that control these detention facilities”. It also blacklisted “Syrian armed group Ahrar al-Sharqiya… [and] two of the group’s leaders”.

The foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS issued a joint statement expressing their commitment “to strengthening cooperation across all Coalition lines of effort in order to ensure that Daesh/ISIS Core in Iraq and Syria”. On Iraq, they deplored “the continuing attacks against Coalition personnel and convoys, and diplomatic facilities, emphasising the importance of the Government of Iraq protecting Coalition assets”, while hailing “the incremental expansion of NATO’s non-combat advisory, training and capacity building mission”. Regarding Syria, the ministers backed “a lasting political settlement in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254”, while noting that “the Coalition continues to support inclusive local recovery and stabilisation in areas liberated from Daesh/ISIS and reconciliation and reintegration efforts to foster conditions conducive to a Syria-wide political resolution to the conflict under the parameters of UN Security Council Resolution 2254”.

The U.S. along with eighteen countries, the League of Arab States and the European Union jointly reiterated “strong support for UN-led efforts to implement all aspects of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, including continued support for an immediate nation-wide ceasefire, the unimpeded and safe delivery of aid, and the Constitutional Committee, as well as fighting against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”. Emphasising “the unity and territorial integrity of Syria”, they expressed commitments “to continue working actively to reach a credible, sustainable and inclusive political solution based on Resolution 2254”.

A spokesperson for the U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition maintained that “continued collaboration with the Maghawir a-Thawra is essential to enable security and prevent a Daesh [ie, ISIS] resurgence in and around al-Tanf Garrison. The coalition enables its partners to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS in designated areas of Iraq and Syria to increase regional stability”.

Addressing the UN Security Council, Iran’s envoy called for preserving “the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria through ending the occupation of its territory including the occupied Syrian Golan, withdrawing of all uninvited foreign forces from that country, ceasing to support any separatist tendencies or illegitimate self-rule initiatives and preventing the violation of Syrian sovereignty particularly by acts of aggression of the Israeli regime”.

A Pentagon spokesperson underscored that “nothing’s changed about the [U.S.’s] mission in Syria, which is about counter-ISIS operations, in keeping with the work that the coalition has been doing since 2014. It is certainly a small presence, less than 1,000”. He also indicated that “we as a government would simply urge all actors act in such a way inside Syria so as to not contribute more to the instability, the insecurity and rather in fact contribute to a peaceful political outcome”.

During a visit to north east Syria, a senior U.S. diplomat affirmed “the U.S. commitment to cooperation and coordination in the Coalition to Defeat ISIS, continued stability in north east Syria and the delivery of stabilisation assistance to liberated areas to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS”. He further expressed “commitment to support all efforts toward a political resolution of the Syrian conflict” and emphasised that “the U.S. will continue to be a leader in the Syrian humanitarian response while working with like-minded countries to ensure the reauthorisation of cross-border assistance into Syria”.

The U.S. Intelligence Community’s 2021 Annual Threat Assessment indicated that “Iran is determined to maintain influence in Syria… [It] is pursuing a permanent military presence and economic deals in Syria as the conflict winds down there. Tehran almost certainly wants these things to build its regional influence, support Hizbollah and threaten Israel”. The report further assessed that “U.S. forces in eastern Syria will face threats from Iranian and Syrian-regime-aligned groups, mostly through deniable attacks”.

The U.S. unveiled “more than $596 million in new humanitarian assistance to respond to the Syrian crisis”, with the U.S. UN ambassador underscoring the importance of “unhindered humanitarian access and aid to all Syrians in need through all avenues available, including through cross-border assistance”.

The foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS Small Group issued a communique reiterating “shared determination to continue the fight against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and to create conditions for an enduring defeat of the terrorist group”. The ministers expressed “unwavering commitment to continue close cooperation with and support to the Government of Iraq” and asserted that “attacks against Coalition forces and Iraqi partners, such as those that occurred in Erbil, Baghdad and al-Asad, are unacceptable and compromise our collective efforts at the expense of the people of Iraq”. The statement went on to say that “the Coalition stands with the Syrian people in support of a lasting political settlement in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The Coalition must continue to be vigilant against the threat of terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations… to avoid security vacuums that Daesh/ISIS may exploit”.

Marking the second anniversary of ISIS’s territorial defeat, the U.S. State Department asserted that “our mission is far from complete. The Global Coalition remains united in its determination to see this enemy destroyed and will continue its efforts against the group in Iraq, Syria, and other countries”.

Marking the tenth anniversary of the Syrian war, the U.S., jointly with the E3 and Italy, issued a statement urging “the regime and its supporters [to] engage seriously in the political process” and reaffirming “the pursuit of a peaceful solution which protects the rights and future of all Syrians, based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. Relatedly, Iran UN envoy urged “the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces present in Syria without the permission of its Government, particularly U.S. forces”, adding: “We condemn the continued Israeli military attacks in Syria. They are unlawful, provocative, and destabilising. That regime must be compelled to put an end to such military adventurism”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reiterated that “we’ll use a variety of tools at our disposal to push for a sustainable end to the Syrian people’s suffering. We’ll continue to support the UN’s role in negotiating a political settlement in line with the relevant UN resolutions, including UNSCR 2254”. “If there is to be a sustainable end to this conflict, we recognise that the Syrian Government must change its behaviour”, the spokesperson asserted, adding: “Bashar al-Assad has not done anything that would restore his legitimacy… There is no question of the U.S. normalising relations with his government anytime soon. There is no question that we will stand, that we will seek to support the humanitarian plight of the Syrian people as we seek a political settlement”.

Foreign minister Javad Zarif conferred with his Syrian counterpart on bilateral relations and the Syrian peace process.

Iran, Russia and Turkey convened a meeting of the “Astana Process” talks over Syria, jointly reaffirming “determination to combat terrorism in all forms and manifestations and stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as threatening the national security of neighbouring countries”. The three countries also “condemned continuing Israeli military attacks in Syria” and “reaffirmed their commitment to advance viable and lasting Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. Relatedly, a senior Iranian diplomat met with the UN special envoy for Syria.

A senior Iranian diplomat asserted that Iran’s “presence in Syria is aimed at combating Daesh [ie, ISIS] and other terrorist groups, but if Israel wants to cross the ‘red lines’, it will face the toughest response, which will make it regret its actions”. “Iran’s presence in Syria will continue as long as the country’s government and people ask for it… those who have illegally come to Syria and occupied its territories are those who should leave the country”, he contended.

A senior Iranian diplomat visited Damascus and met with President Bashar al-Assad as well as the Syrian foreign minister. The Iranian official discussed with Assad “Iran’s viewpoints and stances regarding the Astana Process and the fifth meeting of Syria’s Constitutional Committee in Geneva”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson remarked that “we will renew U.S. efforts to promote a political settlement to end Syria’s civil war in close consultations with our allies, our partners and the UN. A political settlement must address the underlying causes that led to nearly a decade of civil war”. He further stated that “we will use the tools at our disposal, including economic pressure, to push for meaningful reform and accountability, and we’ll continue to support the UN’s role in negotiating a political settlement in line with UNSCR 2254. We will also restore U.S. leadership in providing humanitarian aid”.

The U.S. Treasury Department designated “two individuals, nine business entities and the Central Bank of Syria… pursuant to Syria sanctions authorities”. In parallel, the State Department sanctioned six Syrians, including President Bashar al-Assad’s wife and the commander of Syria’s military intelligence.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, asked “why do you send Afghans to the Syrian war”, maintained that “we do not send anyone to Syria… nobody goes to war on behalf of a foreign country to a third country. Our brothers would go to [Syria] voluntarily”. Zarif further noted that the majority of Afghan soldiers “have rejoined normal life… as now the war is over in Syria”, estimating fewer than 2,000 remained in Syria. “As they went to Syria to join the anti-Daesh forces”, he added, “we, without any hesitation, supported all resistance forces against terrorism and extremism”, confirming: “We support the families of those who get martyred”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “Iran is fully committed to contributing to a political solution of the Syrian crisis” and asserted: “Sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria must be fully respected by all, separatist agendas and illegitimate self-rule initiatives must be rejected and all foreign forces whose presence is not permitted by the Syrian Government, particularly the U.S. forces who are following a hidden agenda, must leave Syria”. He further denounced “Israel’s continued aggression against Syria”, adding that “such provocative military adventurism must stop”.

Israel’s military chief of staff reported that “the Iranian entrenchment in Syria is in a clear slowdown as a result of IDF activity, but we still have a long way to go to complete our goals in this arena”. He also indicated that Israel had “struck over 500 targets this year, on all fronts, in addition to multiple clandestine missions”, further noting “many offensive [cyber] operations”.

The U.S. designated Hassan Irloo, whom it described as “an official in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and the Iranian regime’s envoy to the Huthi rebels in Yemen” on counterterrorism authorities. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo argued that “by dispatching Irloo to Yemen, the IRGC-QF is signaling its intent to increase support to the Huthis and further complicate international efforts to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict”. The U.S. also sanctioned “Al-Mustafa International University for facilitating IRGC-QF recruitment efforts and one individual”. According to the Treasury Department, the university “is used as a recruitment platform by the IRGC-QF for intelligence collection and operations, including recruitment for the IRGC-QF-led foreign militias fighting on behalf of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria”. The following day, Iran blacklisted the U.S. ambassador to Yemen for having “a leading role in organising, financing and arming, directing and carrying out actions of aggressor coalition and formation of human tragedy in Yemen”.

Syrian Foreign Minister Feisal Meqdad visited Tehran and met with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and other senior officials. Discussing the trip, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “political solutions are the only possible option to end the current crisis” in Syria and affirmed that “Iran stands beside the Syrian people and the government in the fight against terrorism”. The following day, President Rouhani called Syrian a “strategic ally” and asserted that Israel “must be confronted until the liberation of the occupied territories, including Golan Heights”. Iran’s Defence Minister, Amir Hatami, also voiced “the determination of Iran to continue cooperation with Syria in the reconstruction phase of this country”.

Secretary Pompeo announced that “the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury sanctioned nineteen individuals and entities under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 and other sanctions authorities”. “The Assad regime has a choice: take irreversible steps toward a peaceful resolution of this decade-long conflict or face further crippling sanctions”, Pompeo asserted.

The spokesperson for the counter-ISIS coalition underscored that “a key part of the mission to defeat Daesh falls on the coalition members and our partners in the Al-Tanf Garrison. Protection of this terrain keeps Daesh and other outlaw groups from using this region”. “CJTF-OIR is committed to maintaining the security in and around Al-Tanf Garrison”, the spokesperson asserted. 

The U.S. ambassador to the UN told the Security Council that “the Assad regime continues to give Iran and its military proxies safe harbour to extend their terror campaign and project its military power deeper into the Middle East, threatening the lives of the Syrian people, but also the security of Israel”. She further asserted that “Iranian forces must withdraw from Syria for there to be lasting peace. Only the UN-facilitated political solution outlined in Resolution 2254 will pave the way for Syria at peace with its people and the region”.

President Bashar al-Assad maintained that “we can only have normal relations with Israel when we have our land back. It’s very simple. So, it is possible when Israel is ready and Israel is not ready. It has never been ready”. He also asserted that “we don’t have Iranian troops [in Syria]… They support Syria, they send their military experts, they work with our troops on the ground, the exist with the Syrian army”. “The Iranian issue is a pretext for occupying Syrian land and supporting terrorists”, Assad insisted.

The U.S. unveiled “seventeen Syria sanctions designations as part of the Administration’s continuing campaign to achieve the goals of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 and hold Assad and his enablers accountable for their crimes”.

CENTCOM Commander Kenneth McKenzie confirmed that “we’re in two positions in Syria… in the Eastern Syria Security Area, we got more than 500 people that are working that area. And we’ve got a couple hundred down in the al-Tanf Garrison”. He further underscored that “we’re not doing any fighting in there. We are in there to support our SDF partners and the military objective we’re in there is to finish the final defeat of ISIS up and down the Euphrates River Valley… At the same time, we’re there to assist the SDF and holding the oil fields that are there as well to prevent ISIS from recapturing those oil fields and allow the SDF ultimately perhaps to recoup some of the benefits of those oil fields”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes “from the side of al-Tanf into the direction of T-4 airport” near Homs, causing material damage but no casualties. Media reports indicated that additional suspected Israeli strikes targeted sites in Deir al-Zour province, purportedly killing “sixteen Iraqi paramilitary fighters loyal to Iran”.

On the sidelines of a Syrian Constitutional Committee meeting in Geneva, Iran, Russia and Turkey “reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic”. They further voiced “their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to the Syrian Arab Republic”, and “condemned the continuing Israel’s [sic] military attacks in Syria”.

The U.S. Special Representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, reiterated that “our goals [in Syria] remain as they have been for years: the enduring defeat of ISIS and al-Qaeda, an irreversible political solution to the Syrian conflict in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the removal of all Iranian-commanded forces. We are maintaining our maximum political and economic pressure for these goals… Our policy isn’t regime change; our policy is a change in behavior of whoever is governing in Damascus”. He further commented on a deal between Delta Crescent Energy, a U.S. company, and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and maintained that “we are not involved in the commercial decisions of our local partners… The U.S. government doesn’t own, control or manage oil resources in Syria”.

The U.S. designated fourteen Syrian individuals and entities pursuant to the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (Caesar Act). The same day, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, commenting on Iran’s “military cooperation agreement” with Damascus, asserted that “such military aid to the Assad regime, violates the Caesar Act… The Iranian regime’s pledge to export military equipment to Syria is in blatant defiance of the UN arms embargo under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and it’s a further demonstration of why we in the U.S. think it’s an imperative that the Security Council must act to extend the arms embargo on Iran” beyond October. He further maintained that “the Iraqi militant groups that are sponsored by the Iranian regime, have been dealing with the Syrian regime in a way that would clearly violate… the spirit of the Caesar Act as well as UN Security Council resolutions”.

Iran’s military chief of staff, Mohammad Baqeri, met with the Syrian Minister of Defence in Damascus and inked “a comprehensive military cooperation agreement”. Baqeri reportedly expressed Tehran’s commitment to “strengthen Syria’s air defence systems in line with the reinvigoration of military cooperation between the two countries”, and said the deal “will increase our determination for joint cooperation to confront the U.S. pressures”. The following day, Baqeri met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who remarked that “this agreement reflects the strategic level of relations between Iran and Syria”. A U.S. military spokesperson subsequently asserted that “the mission of U.S. forces in Syria today remains the same as it was when they first began operations in 2014… U.S. service members will continue to execute the Defeat ISIS mission in Syria, working in conjunction with vetted local forces in northeast Syria and around Al-Tanf Garrison”.

Meeting with Russian and Turkish counterparts under the “Astana Process” talks over Syria, President Rouhani asserted that U.S. sanctions against Syria were “economic terrorism” and pledged that Iran “will continue to support the people and the legitimate government of Syria with greater power. He went on to argue that “the illegitimate presence of the occupying forces of the U.S. regime on Syrian soil has become a destabilising factor for Syria and the entire region, and is plundering natural resources of the country by increasing its illegal military bases in Syria's oil-rich in the eastern Euphrates”. Rouhani further condemned “the increasing scope of the Zionist Regime's [ie, Israel’s] aggression on Syrian soil, and maintained that Israel’s “actions along with the occupation of the Golan Heights have been a factor in destabilising and threatening the peace and security of the region, and the occupying regime will face its consequences”. The meeting concluded with a joint statement emphasising that “there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict and that it could only be resolved through the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. It further recognised “Israeli military attacks in Syria as destabilising and violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country and intensifying the tension in the region”.

Prime Minister Netanyahu opined that “three main challenges are before us, and we are taking action without respite against them: First, we are taking constant action against the efforts of Iran and its proxies to entrench militarily in Syria. The Iranian military must leave Syria. Second, we are taking action against the efforts of our enemies to develop precision missiles in Syria, Lebanon and other areas. Third, and most importantly, we will not allow Iran to attain nuclear weapons”. “Iran is continuing to lie to the international community in its effort to achieve a bomb”, Netanyahu argued. “I have been claiming this for years and today the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, understands this”. He further affirmed that “we regard with utmost seriousness the threats of destruction against Israel by Iranian and pro-Iranian elements… Whoever tries to attack us places himself in very great danger”.

Syrian state media reported that “hostile air targets coming from east and northeast of Palmyra launched a number of missiles on some military sites” in eastern and southern Syria, causing two fatalities and four injuries. Hours later there were further reports that “the Israeli enemy launched a new aggression through which it targeted a number of the Syrian military sites” near Hama.

CENTCOM Commander Kenneth McKenzie indicated that “what we're committed to doing in Syria is working with our SDF partners to continue to pursue the remnants of ISIS that exist up and down the Euphrates River Valley, so at the same time, set the conditions for long term stability east of the Euphrates River”. He also noted: “I've been given no direction to pull back right now, and I don't know when that would occur, under what conditions that would occur”.

The sanctions provisions of U.S. “Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019” (the Caesar Act) went into effect. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that “the Treasury Department and State Department are releasing 39 designations under the Caesar Act and Executive Order 13894 as the beginning of what will be a sustained campaign of economic and political pressure to deny the Assad regime revenue and support it uses to wage war and commit mass atrocities against the Syrian people”. Pompeo further asserted that “we anticipate many more sanctions and we will not stop until Assad and his regime stop their needless, brutal war against the Syrian people and the Syrian government agrees to a political solution to the conflict as called for by UNSCR 2254”. 

The U.S. Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, James Jeffrey