The Pentagon says U.S. forces attacked two facilities in Syria linked to Iranian armed groups, in response to earlier attacks on U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Syria. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. strikes were not connected to the conflict in Israel and Palestine. Nine hundred U.S. troops are also headed to the Middle East. This is Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder.

Patrick Ryder: “While I won’t talk specific deployment locations for these forces, I can confirm that they are not going to Israel and that, again, they are intended to support regional deterrence efforts and further bolster U.S. force protection capabilities.”