The Syrian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement extending “its condolences to the families of the Syrian and American security personnel who were killed in the terrorist attacks that took place in Palmyra and northern Syria.” The statement reiterated Syria’s “firm commitment to fighting the Islamic State.” A US official told CNN that since the December 13 attack, US forces and partner forces have carried out 10 operations that resulted in the killing or arrest of approximately 23 individuals. On December 14, Syria’s Ministry of Interior said that its units carried out an operation in Palmyra to arrest five suspects accused of involvement in the killing of US service members in “coordination with the General Intelligence Directorate and the International Coalition forces.”
Archiv: US Central Command (Centcom)
US launches retaliatory strikes in Syria on dozens of ISIS targets
Hegseth said „Operation Hawkeye Strike“ was carried out in Syria „to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria.
U.S. Central Command also confirmed in a statement that Jordanian fighter aircraft also participated in Friday’s strikes.
„This is not the beginning of a war — It is a declaration of vengeance,“ said Hegseth.
US War Department Says ‘No Force Posture Changes’ in Syria After Three Americans Killed
(December 15, 2025)
“Currently, we have no force posture changes to announce,” a War Department official told Antiwar.com when asked if the Trump administration was planning to withdraw from Syria.
The US withdrew a few hundred soldiers from Syria earlier this year, but the comment signals a full withdrawal isn’t on the table. There are currently around 1,000 US troops in the country, a Pentagon official told The New York Times.
‚ISIS attack‘ on US troops: Trump vows ‚very serious retaliation‘ — what we know so far
The US Central Command (USCENTCOM) on Saturday (local time) stated the attack as they characterised it as an ambush by a lone ISIS-linked gunman, who was engaged and killed during the incident.
US Needs Troops in Syria to Stop ISIS Comeback, CENTCOM Nominee Says
(June 24, 2025)
The U.S. and the SDF stayed clear of Syria’s civil war, which led to the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia.
The country’s new president is Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the Islamist rebel group Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that swept to power last December and has vowed to establish a tolerant, multi-ethnic state.
After months of deliberation, the U.S. has thrown its support behind the new Syrian leader. President Trump announced last month that he would lift sanctions on the country, a decision he made with encouragement from Saudi Arabia while Trump was in the Middle East.
US CENTCOM chief says no troops to be deployed to Gaza
In a statement on X, Admiral Brad Cooper said he just returned from Gaza to understand how to establish a “CENTCOM-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC)” to connect activities to support “post-conflict stabilisation”.
“This great effort will be achieved with no US boots on the ground in Gaza,” Cooper wrote.
Witkoff: Visited Gaza to verify Israel‘s compliance of ceasefire agreement
US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, on Saturday said he visited Gaza alongside Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, “to verify Israel’s compliance with Phase I of the [Gaza ceasefire] agreement”.
Witkoff, in a statement, said that he was also accompanied by CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper.
CENTCOM confirms IDF withdrawal to new Gaza deployment lines
US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that the IDF completed its withdrawal to the new agreed-upon deployment lines in Gaza, US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff says on X.
“The 72-hour period to release the hostages has begun,” he adds.
Another notable addition in Trump’s post is the claim that “I immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did, however, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack.”
Earlier, the statement read out by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made a similar claim but did not include the line that the warning came “too late to stop the attack”.
Following Leavitt’s press briefing, Qatar said that reports that it was given advanced warning from the US of the Israeli attack on Doha are false and that US officials first warned Qatar of the attack 10 minutes after it had begun.
It’s therefore unclear what Trump means, as my colleague Robert Mackey notes, in that he seems to suggest that he both has the power to stop Israeli strikes, but for some reason did not have the power to stop the one that took place today.
Popeye Turbo
In May 2000 Israel is reported to have secretly carried out its first test launches from two German-built Dolphin-class submarines of cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The missiles launched from vessels off Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean are said to have hit a target at a range of about 1,500 kilometers [about 930 statute miles]. Israel is reported to possess a 200kg nuclear warhead, containing 6kg of plutonium, that could be mounted on cruise missiles. (…)
The Popeye Turbo missile is probably similar to if not identical with the Israeli submarine-launced cruise missile carried on the Dolphin-class submarines.
Dolphin-class Submarines: Israel’s Undersea Arsenal
(June 2024)
Shrouded in secrecy, the Dolphin- and Dolphin II–class submarines are the primary naval assault power of the Israeli Defense Force. They provide the often-beleaguered nation an array of capabilities, ranging from intelligence collection and special operations support to antisurface warfare and deterrence patrols. Shayetet 7, the navy’s submarine unit, operates the current fleet of five (soon to be six) submarines out of Haifa. The first two boats—the Dolphin and Leviathan—were fully funded by Germany, while the cost for the third, the Tekuma, was shared equally between the two countries.
Pentagon launches probe into Iran strike intel leak
Seated next to President Donald Trump, NATO chief Mark Rutte and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the start of a day of meetings, Hegseth didn’t provide details of the investigation, but did confirm the classified intelligence assessment and its findings, saying its conclusions are “low confidence.”
Exclusive: Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, sources say
The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm. It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command in the aftermath of the US strikes, one of the sources said.
The analysis of the damage to the sites and the impact of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear ambitions is ongoing, and could change as more intelligence becomes available.
Public condemnation, private interest: Arab world response to Israel‘s Iran strikes – opinion
Therefore, although it is still too early to disclose the full extent of Arab involvement, there are indications that Israel operated over the airspace of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria – the latter likely without its knowledge or consent.
Jordanian fighter jets intercepted Iranian drones over Jordanian territory.
It is also reasonable to assume that the regional air system, established following the Abraham Accords and Israel’s inclusion in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) – known as the Middle East Air Defense – was activated to intercept Iranian drones, as it was during Iran’s two previous attacks in April and October 2024.
Washington clears out personnel from West Asia as tensions with Iran grow
(June 12, 2025)
CENTCOM added that it was “monitoring the developing tension.”
According to US and Iraqi sources cited by Reuters, “the US is preparing a partial evacuation of its Iraqi embassy and will allow military dependents to leave locations around the [region] due to heightened security risks.”
The sources did not say what prompted the concerns over security risks.
Amid Iran tensions, U.S. withdraws diplomats, military families from West Asia over security concerns
(June 12, 2025)
While the exact cause of the shift in posture remains unclear, a defence official told CNN that US Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring “developing tension in the Middle East.”
President Donald Trump, commenting on the situation, said, “They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place… we’ve given notice to move out, and we’ll see what happens.
CNN reported that the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the region has been authorized by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. “The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority,” an official said.
US Massacres Civilian Workers and Paramedics in Attack on Yemen Fuel Port
On Thursday night, the US bombed the Ras Isa fuel port in Yemen’s Red Sea province of Hodeidah, targeting the facility with two attacks that killed dozens of civilian workers and paramedics.
According to Yemen’s Health Ministry, at least 74 people, including at least five paramedics, were killed, and 171 were wounded. The paramedics were hit by a second US attack on the facility that came after rescue workers had already arrived at the scene to help victims of the first strikes (watch graphic footage of the aftermath of the attack here).
US air strikes kill 74, injure 171 in Yemen
“Today, US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists,” CENTCOM said on Thursday in a post on social media. “The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis,” it said.
Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed al-Attab, reporting from Yemen’s capital Sanaa, said the US air strikes hit several different areas, but were most concentrated around the port facility.
“The first four air raids were waged while the people were working,” he said. The air raids took employees by surprise, he said, including truck drivers who were on the scene at the time.
Trump confirms National Security Council firings as Waltz‘s Signal chat woes snowball
Waltz, who previously served as a Florida congressman and as a decorated combat Green Beret, has come under fire from Democrats and critics since March, when the Atlantic magazine‘s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg published a firsthand account of getting added to a Signal group chat with top national security leaders, including Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, while they discussed strikes against Yemen terrorists. Trump and his administration have repeatedly defended the national security leader amid criticisms over the chat leak.
Signal is an encrypted messaging app that operates similarly to texting or making phone calls, but with additional security measures that help ensure communications are kept private to those included in the correspondence.
Report: Trump Is Preparing To Bomb Iran With Israel
The US and Israel are currently planning to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, an attack that could happen in a “few weeks’ time,” Daily Mail columnist Dan Hodges reported on Wednesday.
Hodges wrote the report while in Tel Aviv and cited Israeli political, diplomatic, and military sources.
Military confrontation seems inevitable if no new Iran nuclear deal, France says
(April 2, 2025)
Speaking after President Emmanuel Macron convened a rare and undisclosed meeting of key ministers and experts on Wednesday to discuss the Iran dossier, Jean-Noel Barrot appeared to ramp up the pressure on Tehran.
US sends 2nd aircraft carrier to Middle East as Trump threatens to bomb Iran
(April 2, 2025)
The Pentagon extended the deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike group and ordered a second flotilla to the Middle East, Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed Tuesday. It also sent additional warplanes to the region, including F-35 fighters and B-2 stealth bombers, according to a U.S. official.
The posture shift came as Trump threatened to bomb Iran if the country does not strike a deal over its nuclear weapons capabilities.
CENTCOM chief Kurilla holds assessment with IDF chief during visit to Israel
(Today, 9:57 am)
United States CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla, who arrived in Israel earlier this week, held an assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israeli military says.
The IDF says the meeting focused on “strategic security issues across the region.”
Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal
The statements by Hegseth, Gabbard, Ratcliffe, and Trump—combined with the assertions made by numerous administration officials that we are lying about the content of the Signal texts—have led us to believe that people should see the texts in order to reach their own conclusions. There is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisers included in nonsecure communications channels, especially because senior administration figures are attempting to downplay the significance of the messages that were shared. (…)
At 2 p.m., Waltz responded: “Typing too fast. The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.”
Vance responded a minute later: “Excellent.” Thirty-five minutes after that, Ratcliffe, the CIA director, wrote, “A good start,” which Waltz followed with a text containing a fist emoji, an American-flag emoji, and a fire emoji.
US-Sicherheitspanne zu Jemen-Angriff: „Das soll wohl ein Scherz sein“
Ein Journalist des US-Magazins The Atlantic wurde in eine Chatgruppe eingeladen. In der diskutierten 18 hochrangige Vertreter der US-Regierung über die Angriffe auf die Huthi-Miliz im Jemen, die nur wenige Stunden darauf ausgeführt wurden. Eine Panne, die vor allem bei den Demokraten für massive Empörung sorgt, in den Reihen der Republikaner wird abgewiegelt.
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
According to the lengthy Hegseth text, the first detonations in Yemen would be felt two hours hence, at 1:45 p.m. eastern time. So I waited in my car in a supermarket parking lot. If this Signal chat was real, I reasoned, Houthi targets would soon be bombed. At about 1:55, I checked X and searched Yemen. Explosions were then being heard across Sanaa, the capital city.
I went back to the Signal channel. At 1:48, “Michael Waltz” had provided the group an update. Again, I won’t quote from this text, except to note that he described the operation as an “amazing job.” A few minutes later, “John Ratcliffe” wrote, “A good start.” Not long after, Waltz responded with three emoji: a fist, an American flag, and fire.
US Sets Up New North Syria Base With Allied Kurds Near Turkish Border
The US is reportedly building a new military base in the Kurdish-majority city of Kobani, right on the Turkish border.
The US has been backing the Kurdish SDF for years, to the chagrin of Turkey and its allies in the self-proclaimed Syrian National Army (SNA). In recent weeks, intense fighting has erupted between the SDF and Turkey and their partners in SNA.
So far, the fighting has centered around the city of Manbij, which is further west than Kobani but also along the Syria-Turkey border.
The US and al-Omar oil field: Military base or oil greed
(September 23, 2022)
On 22 October 2017, SDF announced that its forces, with the support of the International Coalition Forces (ICF), had taken control of the al-Omar oil field, Syria’s largest, after the regime’s alliance had engaged in military operations against it for days.
As SDF installed its spheres of influence in the region as far as the Euphrates River from the eastern side, the al-Omar field is now known as the largest US military base in Syria.
The field in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside is the largest oil field in Syria, with a pre-Syrian revolution production of about 30,000 barrels per day.
Rebels take Syrian city from U.S.-backed group after U.S.-Turkey deal, source says
(December 9, 2024)
The Kurdish fighters „have withdrawn from the city and still need to withdraw from the other areas“ east of Manbij, said the Syrian opposition source familiar with the matter.
USCENTCOM Commander Visits Syria and Iraq
Syria
Today, Dec. 10, Gen. Kurilla visited U.S. military commanders and servicemembers, as well as our Defeat-ISIS partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, at several bases in Syria. He received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation. USCENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS.
Iraq
After visiting Syria, Gen. Kurilla visited Baghdad where he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia‘ al Sudani, Chief of Staff Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, and Iraqi Joint Operations Deputy Commander Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawai. The leaders discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional security, the rapidly changing situation in Syria, as well as the defeat-ISIS operations in Iraq.