What U.S. airstrikes on Syria mean for Mideast tensions
Early Friday morning, U.S. fighter jets targeted Iran-backed facilities in Syria. Yahoo Finance Senior Columnist Rick Newman explains how this may further tension in the Middle East region as the Israel-Hamas conflict also escalates, while also commenting on how newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) could vote on President Biden's proposed aid to Israel and Ukraine.
For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live.
This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.
Video Transcript
- Now, earlier today, US fighter jets carried out airstrikes against Iran-linked facilities in Syria.
The move was a retaliation for a slew of missile and drone attacks against US personnel in the region.
And Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin saying the strikes are quote, "separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas," but signal escalating tension in the Middle East.
Joining us now with more is Yahoo Finance's own Rick Newman.
Related Videos
Rick.
RICK NEWMAN: Hey, guys.
Well, this is not a huge escalation, the type that people worry about when they talk about a wider Middle Eastern war.
But it is definitely a small escalation.
There are about 2,500 American troops on what you might call permanent station over in the Middle East.
They're doing counterterrorism operations and other things like that.
And these forces-- these militias affiliated and backed with Iran and backed by Iran have been dropping bombs on some of the bases, where the forces are based.
Particularly an airfield in Iraq.
And I think another one in Syria.
So US fired back.
They say they attacked some weapons and ammunition facilities in Eastern Syria.
And they're trying to send a message, hey, knock it off.
Stop trying to harass American troops.
So we will see where this goes.
I mean, this sort of thing has happened before.
But, I guess, Iran decided-- let's just see if we can swap the Americans a little bit and provoke them.
So this just adds to the tensions about how much worse this whole situation could become in the Middle East.
- And, Rick, when we talk about what that escalation could look like, this comes amid the fact that we have a new Speaker in the House.
We know that there is a number of policy deadlines here on the table just about a month to go until that government funding deadline.
But, of course, one of the key issues that Congress is debating right now is funding to Ukraine and funding also to Israel.
How do you see or how do you see the new Speaker, I guess, going about or approaching this given the fact that he has had some words of criticism for the Biden administration?