Confirming that there had been no attacks against U.S. forces based in Iraq or Syria since 23 November, a Pentagon spokesperson underscored that “we’re going to continue to make force protection of our forces a priority, and if and when we are attacked, of course, we would respond appropriate... Those attacks are dangerous, I don’t want to minimise it, but have largely been ineffective. When we strike, it’s extremely effective, and every single time we strike, it diminishes IRGC capability in Iraq and Syria”.