The US military said it shot down an Iranian-made drone in Syria on Tuesday.
The drone was attempting to conduct reconnaissance on Mission Support Site Conoco, a patrol base in northeast Syria, US Central Command said on Twitter.
Just a day before the incident, the US Defense Department described Iranian drones and missiles as among the most prominent air defense threats facing both the US and its Gulf allies.
The growing issue of Iranian drones
Iranian drones have also been an increasing concern for the US and its allies in Ukraine, where Russia has been using them with deadly effects. Iran now appears to play a key role in the war against Ukraine.
US media recently reported that Russia is moving forward with a plan to establish a factory to manufacture some 6,000 Iranian drones every year.
On February 14th, at approximately 2:30 PM local time, US forces in Syria engaged and shot down an Iranian-manufactured UAV attempting to conduct reconnaissance of Mission Support Site Conoco, a patrol base in northeast Syria. pic.twitter.com/3GSf8odK3w
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 15, 2023
Drone components have been discovered in Ukraine that can be traced back to the West, showing how Iran’s IRGC and other Iranian entities acquire Western technology for use in weapons. They acquire this under dual-use trade, where they pretend it is not for weapons, but in fact, it ends up in drones.
US forces in Syria have come under attack repeatedly over the last years. Washington has blamed Iran-backed militias for attacks on American troops. Those Iran-backed forces established a foothold in Syria while fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad during Syria's civil war.
US forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama administration's campaign against Islamic State, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces. There are about 900 US troops in Syria, most of them in the east.
Seth Frantzman contributed to this report.