President Joe Biden has officially notified Congress of the airstrike that was carried out in Syria earlier this week. The US government claimed that the airstrikes were against Iranian-affiliated facilities.
According to reports, President Biden authorized the airstrikes on Thursday and informed Congress two days later, as per legal requirements. The notification stated that the airstrike was a response to recent attacks against US and coalition personnel in Iraq.
"The United States took necessary, appropriate, and deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation - but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message," said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 22 fatalities from the strike, including several Iranians. However, Iran denied any involvement in attacks targeting US troops stationed in Iraq.
The airstrike has received mixed reactions from lawmakers on Capitol Hill with some questioning its legality. Representative Ro Khanna tweeted Friday saying "We cannot stand up for Congressional authorization before military strikes only when there is a Republican president."
Meanwhile, Senator Jim Inhofe praised President Biden's decision stating "I commend President Joe Biden for taking swift actions defending American lives and sending a strong message to Iran."
It remains unclear what impact this latest round of hostilities will have on already tense relations between Washington and Tehran. However, given ongoing tensions between these two powers in recent years it is likely that further escalations may occur.
As always we will keep you updated on any developments related to this story.