Current and former U.S. officials expressed fears on Tuesday that Israel’s airstrikes on an Iranian embassy compound in Syria could escalate hostilities in the region, and prompt retaliatory strikes against Israel and its American ally. Indeed, after the Israeli strike in Damascus, Syria’s capital, on Monday, American troops based in southeastern Syria knocked down an attack drone, a Defense Department official said. It was unclear if the drone was aimed at the U.S. forces, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. If it were, it would be the first attack by Iran-backed militias against American troops in Iraq or Syria in nearly two months. The official said there had been no further attacks overnight, but that Pentagon officials were monitoring the situation closely.

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Persons: Ralph Goff, Goff Organizations: Israel, Iran’s Quds Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Defense Department, U.S ., Pentagon Locations: Syria, Iran’s Quds, Iran, Damascus, Syria’s, U.S, Iraq