President Joe Biden authorized an airstrike in Syria against Iranian-affiliated facilities after a suspected drone strike targeted a facility housing US personnel in the country, which killed an American contractor and wounded five US service members. Biden stated that the airstrikes were conducted to protect and defend the safety of US personnel and partners and to deter Iran and Iran-backed militia groups from conducting attacks on them. The retaliatory airstrikes by American F-15 fighter jets killed 19 fighters in eastern Syria, including three Syrian troops, 11 pro-government militia members, and five non-Syrian fighters. The exchanges resulted in one of the deadliest clashes between US and Iran-aligned forces in years, with Iran-backed militants firing 10 missiles that narrowly missed a US base in northeast Syria but hit a civilian house, injuring two women and two children. The US and Iran are now engaged in a tit-for-tat response, escalating tensions in the Middle East. Biden emphasized that the US does not seek conflict with Iran, but Republicans criticized his response as weak, with Sen. Joni Ernst stating that the Biden administration's doctrine of appeasement has cost American lives and emboldened adversaries.