25 August 2022; MEMO: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has "strongly condemned" the US army air strikes on eastern Syria, describing them as an "aggression" and "a violation of the country's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity."
Kanaani denied a link between those "popular groups fighting against occupation" and Iran.
He added that the continued presence of US forces in parts of Syria "is against international law and constitutes a breach of Syria's sovereignty", calling for the US to leave Syria.
On Tuesday, the Communication Director for the US Army Central Command (CENTCOM), Colonel Joe Buccino, announced that the US military launched air strikes targeting what he called "infrastructure used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps" in Syria.
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Buccino added that the "precision strikes" were intended to "defend and protect U.S. forces from attacks like the ones on August 15 against U.S. personnel by Iran-backed groups."
"Today's strikes were necessary to protect and defend U.S. personnel. The United States took proportionate, deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize the risk of casualties," he added.
Hundreds of American soldiers are deployed in northeastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting Daesh. The majority protect oil and gas facilities in the country.
