The United States of America considers air strikes against Syria to be consistent with international law as an action designed to protect the country from outgoing threats.
A number of American officials have come forward with this position.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby noted that the attack should demonstrate to opponents in the region that the United States is going to defend its own interests.
He also revealed details of an attack on the infrastructure of Iranian-backed military formations located in the Syrian city of Abu Kemal on the border with Iraq.
According to him, two American F-15 fighters dropped "seven high-precision rounds", destroying nine objects and partially destroying two more.
“We have preliminary data on casualties on site, but I cannot discuss additional details at the moment because we are still evaluating the operation,” he said.
F-15 Eagle fighters
© US Air Force
Kirby emphasized that the US airstrike was defensive in nature, as the attacked "structures and living quarters were used in attacks on American troops and US coalition partners in Iraq."
“These targets were chosen carefully and very deliberately,” he added.
During a press conference, a Pentagon spokesman thanked "the Iraqi and Kurdish partners for the amazing intelligence work," but later said on Twitter that Washington did not use the information received from Iraq.
We add that on the eve of the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the use of Iraqi intelligence in carrying out the attack.
In turn, the press secretary of the White House Jen Psaki, referring to paragraph 1 of Article 50 of the UN Charter, said that the United States acted in accordance with its right to self-defense.
The airstrikes were necessary to respond to outgoing threats and attacks, she said.
The actions taken by the United States are aimed at de-escalating tensions in Syria and Iraq, she added.
At the same time, Psaki stressed that Washington is open for dialogue with Tehran.
“At the moment, the United States is open to diplomatic conversation and is ready to sit down at the table and conduct a dialogue with our partners in the 5 + 1 format, as well as with Iran.
We do not intend to take steps to ease the sanctions.
This option is not considered.
According to the latest information I have, Europe has sent an invitation (to negotiate -
RT
), and we are awaiting a response from Tehran, ”she said.
US President Joe Biden also issued a warning to Iran: "Be careful - your actions will not go unpunished."
On the night of February 26, the US military launched air strikes on Syrian territory.
The purpose of the attack, according to Washington, was the objects used by members of the Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada groups.
The administration of the American president authorized these actions in response to shelling of the US military base in Erbil and the "green zone" of Baghdad, as a result of which American citizens were killed and injured.
Reaction in the world
UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed concern over the volatile situation in Syria and called on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and avoid escalation.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab approved of the US actions.
In a tweet, he stressed that London "supports targeted attacks against militants" and intends to work with Washington to de-escalate the situation.
Along with this, the US Congress expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of the Joe Biden administration.
Democratic Senator Tim Kane has called on the White House to provide "legal justification" for offensive military action, which was carried out without Congress approval.
Russia strongly condemns the US airstrikes against Syria.
As the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova said, Moscow calls for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the SAR: "We confirm our rejection of any attempts to turn the Syrian territory into an arena for settling geopolitical scores."
According to the head of the Federation Council Commission on Information Policy Alexei Pushkov, Washington's actions are designed to influence the issue of the Iranian nuclear program (Joint Comprehensive Action Plan).
“It is more likely that the United States wants to condition its return to the“ nuclear deal ”on new conditions - first of all, changes in Iran's regional policy, as well as its rejection of the missile program.
Bomb strikes fit exactly this approach, ”he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Tehran believes that American air strikes on Syria could lead to an increase in the number of military clashes and destabilize the situation in the region.
"The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman strongly condemned the illegal and aggressive attack by US forces in eastern Syria, which is a violation of international law," said a statement from the ministry's spokesman Said Khatibzade.
In the Syrian Arab Republic itself, they came out with harsh condemnation of the "cowardly American aggression", which is contrary to international law and the UN Charter.
According to Damascus, the Joe Biden administration has demonstrated that it will adhere to the "law of the jungle" in its work, as did Donald Trump's team.
"Syria demands from the United States to change its aggressive policy towards the SAR, to end various support for terrorist groups attacking Syria and its people, and to stop investing in these groups," the republic's Foreign Ministry stressed.
Venezuela expressed solidarity with the people and government of Syria and strongly condemned the US military attack.
“It is regrettable that Washington is returning to an endless war and retreating from the principles of diplomacy and international law,” the Bolivarian Republic’s foreign ministry said in a statement.