Following strong US support for Israel, Iranian-backed attacks on US forces in Middle East on the rise

The United States Pentagon said that two drones were shot down on Monday during an attempted attack against U.S. forces in Syria.

Pentagon Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Pat Ryder said the drones were downed using “defensive systems.”

“There was an attempted drone attack at Al-Tanf in Syria. Two one-way attack drones taken down; no injuries to US forces,” Ryder reported.

The spokesman did not identify which group was responsible for the attack, however a group calling itself the 'Islamic Resistance' in Iraq claimed to have launched drones against American forces at Al-Tanf and Al-Malikiyah in Syria.

National Security Spokesman John Kirby attributed the attacks to Iran.

“Iran continues to support Hamas and Hezbollah, and we know that Iran is closely monitoring these events and, in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict for their own good or for that of Iran,” Kirby said at a press briefing at the White House on Monday.

“We know Iran's goal is to maintain some level of deniability here, but we're not going to allow them to do that,” Kirby added.

The attack is only the latest in a string of similar attacks against U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq over the last week.

In the early morning hours last Friday, two rockets were fired at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center in Iraq, near the Baghdad International Airport. One rocket was intercepted and the other struck an empty facility.

On Thursday, the U.S. Navy warship, USS Carney, shot down 15 drones and 4 cruise missiles near the Yemeni coast in the Red Sea.

The day before, U.S. forces in Iraq’s Al-Asad Airbase, west of Baghdad, intercepted two drones carrying out attacks against the base. One of the drones was destroyed, and one damaged, resulting in minor injuries and damage.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq also claimed responsibility for that attack.

The same day, another group, the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah militia, claimed responsibility for an attempted drone attack on the al-Harir air base, which houses American troops in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, 

“Our missiles, drones, and special forces are ready to direct qualitative strikes at the American enemy in its bases and disrupt its interests if it intervenes in this battle,” said the group leader Ahmad Mohsen Faraj al-Hamidawi (aka Abu Hussein).

These attacks come as the Washington continues to strongly support Israel in its war with Hamas following the Oct. 7 invasion and massacre.

CNN reported that U.S. intelligence officials claim to have “specific evidence” that Iranian-backed militias are planning to increase attacks as Iran tries to increase pressure on the U.S. to lessen its support for Israel.