Biden sends letter to Congress saying US prepared for further military action after Syria strikes

President Biden said in a letter to House and Senate leaders that the U.S. airstrikes against Syria on Thursday represented "necessary and proportionate action consistent with international law" within "the United States' inherent right of self-defense as reflected in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter."

As I have reported previously, militia groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have perpetrated a series of attacks against United States personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria," Biden wrote. "Since October 17, 2023, these militia groups have conducted numerous attacks using unmanned aerial systems and indirect fire, injuring several United States service members.  A United States contractor suffered a fatal cardiac incident while moving to shelter during one of these attacks.  These attacks have placed under grave threat the lives of United States personnel and of Coalition forces operating alongside United States forces."

"In response to this series of attacks and continuing threats of future attacks, at my direction, on the night of October 26, 2023, United States forces conducted targeted strikes against facilities in eastern Syria," he continued. "The precision strikes targeted facilities used by the IRGC and IRGC-affiliated groups for command and control, munitions storage, and other purposes.  The strikes were intended to establish deterrence and were conducted in a manner to limit the risk of escalation and avoid civilian casualties.  I directed the strikes in order to protect and defend our personnel, to degrade and disrupt the ongoing series of attacks against the United States and our partners, and to deter Iran and Iran-backed militia groups from conducting or supporting further attacks on United States personnel and facilities."

The president added, "I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive and to conduct United States foreign relations.  The United States took this necessary and proportionate action consistent with international law and in the exercise of the United States' inherent right of self-defense as reflected in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.  The United States stands ready to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats or attacks."

The military action comes against Syria comes amid the war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.

More than 8,700 people have been killed and thousands more wounded in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the terrorist group.