2025–2026 United States airstrikes in Syria
Operation Hawkeye Strike is an ongoing retaliatory military action by the United States against the Islamic State, following the Palmyra attack">Palmyra (modern)">Palmyra attack by a Syrian police officer, suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State, that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter.
Background
After the December 2025 Palmyra attack, the United States, in coordination with regional allies, conducted 10 operations which, according to an US-official, led to the killing or arrest of 23 individuals suspected of links to the Islamic State.Operations
On 19 December 2025, the United States, supported by Jordan, launched a massive airstrike campaign consisting of at least 100 munitions across Syria on Islamic State infrastructures, targeting 70 targets. The United States operated A-10s and F-16s, Apache helicopters and HIMARS guided artillery with support from Jordanian Air Force|Jordanian] F-16s.The operation was named "Hawkeye Strike" to reflect the involvement of Iowa-based units and the high level of precision required to identify targets across Syria's vast landscape.
According to U.S. officials and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strikes targeted command centers, weapons depots, training facilities, drone sites, and logistical hubs in central and eastern Syria, including Jabal al-Amour area near Palmyra in Homs province, Ma'adan desert in rural Raqqa, and al-Hammad desert in Deir ez-Zor province. The SOHR reported that at least five Islamic State members were killed, including a cell leader involved in operating and coordinating unmanned aerial systems used by the group.
On 10 January 2026 at around 12:30 pm EST, the U.S. and Jordan launched a second wave of airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, striking over 35 targets using over 90 precision munitions. According to a U.S. official, over 20 aircraft were involved, reportedly including F-15Es, A-10s, AC-130Js, MQ-9s and Jordanian F-16s. Casualty figures and the locations of the strikes remained unclear. On 16 January, the United States conducted another retaliatory strike in northwestern Syria, killing Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, a senior leader of an al-Qaeda-affiliated group who was linked to the 13 December ambush.
Reactions
State actors
- : Jordan confirmed its involvement in striking ISIS targets, stating that it aimed "to prevent extremist groups from exploiting these areas as launching pads to threaten the security of Syria's neighbors and the wider region, especially after ISIS regrouped and rebuilt its capabilities in southern Syria."
- : The Syrian foreign ministry said it "reiterates its steadfast commitment to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory, and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat."
- : President Donald Trump called the strikes "very successful" and said, "We hit the ISIS thugs in Syria who were trying to regroup after their decimation by the Trump administration five years ago." Following the strikes, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that "this is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance" and that "the United States of America, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people."
Non-state actors
- Syrian Democratic Forces: The SDF praised the U.S. strikes for targeting "the hideouts of the ISIS terrorist organization in Syria during the past hours", saying that "this continuous air support represents a decisive factor in preventing the organization from regrouping its cells or restoring its sabotage activity."
Analysis
According to Andrew Tabler, who was the Syria director during the first Trump administration, "the number of strikes shows ISIS' presence remains stronger than previously acknowledged."