President Donald Trump has declared that terrorists targeting Americans will face unparalleled force, following a devastating U.S. airstrike on Islamic State (IS) positions in Syria that wiped out 70 targets in a single night.
“All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A.,” Trump warned via Truth Social on Friday.
The retaliatory strike, named Operation Hawkeye Strike, came just days after an ISIS-linked attacker killed two U.S. National Guard members and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra. The operation, carried out with support from Jordanian fighter jets, struck IS compounds, weapons caches, and infrastructure across Deir Ezzor province. Reports confirmed the death of at least five IS members, including a drone cell commander.
Photos aired by Fox News showed soldiers writing the names of their fallen comrades on missiles used in the operation. Trump addressed the attack at a rally in North Carolina, proudly declaring, “We hit every site flawlessly… restoring peace through strength all over the world.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s tone in a blistering X post: “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. If you target Americans — anywhere in the world — the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”
He added, “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.”
The victims of the Dec. 13 attack were identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25; Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29; and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, all of whom died during a convoy mission.
The new Syrian government under Ahmed al Sharaa — recently removed from the U.S. terrorist list ahead of a White House meeting with Trump — has pledged to work with the U.S. to eradicate IS from the region.
