Operation Hawkeye Strike

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Operation Hawkeye Strike
Part of the war on terror and war against the Islamic State
A video depicting a retaliatory strike against ISIS
TypeAirstrikes
Location
Syria
Planned by United States
Commanded byDonald Trump
Target Islamic State
DateDecember 19, 2025 (2025-12-19)
Executed by United States Air Force
 Royal Jordanian Air Force

Operation Hawkeye Strike was a retaliatory military action by the United States against the Islamic State, following the December 2025 Palmyra attack by a Syrian police officer, suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State, that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter.[1][2]

Background

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See also: US intervention in the Syrian civil war § 2024–present: Post-Assad drawdown

After the December 2025 Palmyra attack, the United States, in coordination with regional allies, conducted 10 operations which led to the arrest of 23 individuals suspected of links to the Islamic State.[3]

Operation

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On 19 December 2025, the United States, supported by Jordan, launched massive airstrikes campaigns consisting of at least 100 munitions across Syria on Islamic State infrastructures, targeting 70 targets following the December 2025 Palmyra attack which killed two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter.[4][5][6] The United States operated A-10s and F-16s, Apache helicopters and HIMARS guided artillery with support from Jordanian F-16s.[7]

The operation was named "Hawkeye Strike" to reflect the involvement of Iowa-based units and the high level of precision required to identify targets across Syria’s vast landscape.[8]

According to U.S. officials and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the strikes targeted command centers, weapons depots, training facilities, drone sites, and logistical hubs in central and eastern Syria, including Jabal al-Amour area near Palmyra in Homs province, Ma'adan desert in rural Raqqa, and al-Hammad desert in Deir ez-Zor province.[9] The SOHR reported that at least five Islamic State members were killed, including a drone specialist involved in operating and coordinating unmanned aerial systems used by the group.[10][11]

Reactions

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State actors

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  • Jordan: Jordan confirmed its involvement in striking ISIS targets, stating that it aimed "to prevent extremist groups from exploiting these areas as launching pads to threaten the security of Syria's neighbors and the wider region, especially after ISIS regrouped and rebuilt its capabilities in southern Syria."[12]
  • Syria: The Syrian foreign ministry said it "reiterates its steadfast commitment to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory, and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat."[6]
  • United States: President Donald Trump called the strikes "very successful" and said, "We hit the ISIS thugs in Syria who were trying to regroup after their decimation by the Trump administration five years ago." Following the strikes, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that "this is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance" and that "the United States of America, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people."[6]

Non-state actors

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  • Syrian Democratic Forces: The SDF praised the U.S. strikes for targeting "the hideouts of the ISIS terrorist organization in Syria during the past hours", saying that "this continuous air support represents a decisive factor in preventing the organization from regrouping its cells or restoring its sabotage activity."[6]

Analysis

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According to Nanar Hawach, senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group, Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa is "trying very hard to walk a thin line" by engaging with international partners while simultaneously not alienating some of his hard-line supporters, including those which formerly held extremist views, which could be antagonized at strikes by a Western country on their homeland.[13]

According to Andrew Tabler, who was the Syria director during the first Trump administration, "the number of strikes shows ISIS' presence remains stronger than previously acknowledged."[13]

References

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  1. ^ Jared Szuba (19 December 2025). "US bombs ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for Palmyra insider attack". Al-Monitor. Wikidata Q137473335. Archived from the original on 20 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Attacker who killed US troops in Syria was a recent recruit to security forces, official says". Politico. 14 December 2025. ISSN 2381-1595. Wikidata Q137476939. Archived from the original on 14 December 2025.
  3. ^ Britzky, Zachary Cohen, Haley (19 December 2025). "US conducts strikes in Syria in response to attack that killed two American soldiers | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 20 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "US launches massive airstrikes on dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria". Hindustan Times. 20 December 2025. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  5. ^ "On the Ground and in the Air – Assessing the Special Forces Operations, Local Force Training Missions, and Aerial Campaign Against ISIS", The West’s War Against Islamic State, I.B. Tauris, 2021, ISBN 978-1-78831-913-3, retrieved 20 December 2025
  6. ^ a b c d Schmitt, Eric (19 December 2025). "U.S. Strikes Islamic State Targets in Syria". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 December 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  7. ^ "U.S. launches strikes against ISIS in Syria in retaliation for attack that killed 3 Americans". NBC News. 20 December 2025. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Operation Hawkeye Strike". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  9. ^ "US launches widespread airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria after deadly Palmyra attack". FDD's Long War Journal. 19 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Syria monitor group says at least 5 ISIS members killed by U.S. retaliatory strikes". CBS News. 20 December 2025.
  11. ^ "Jordan says it took part in US-led strikes on ISIS in Syria that killed at least 5". The Times of Israel. 20 December 2025.
  12. ^ Press, -Associated (20 December 2025). "Jordan says its air force joined U.S. strikes against Islamic State group in Syria". PBS News. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  13. ^ a b Dahir, Abdi Latif; Schmitt, Eric (20 December 2025). "U.S. Strikes on Syria Underscore Scale of Challenge for Its President". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 December 2025.