On December 19, 2025, the United States struck more than 70 ISIS targets across central Syria in a sweeping retaliatory operation ordered from the highest levels of our government. This was not a half-measure or a photo-op; it was a calibrated, lethal response meant to degrade the terrorists who murdered our people.
The strikes came after a brutal ambush on December 13, 2025, that claimed the lives of two Iowa National Guard soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter while they were carrying out a mission to keep Americans safe. The fallen — Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat — deserve justice, and their families deserve the nation’s unwavering support.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made no bones about the purpose of the operation, calling it “a declaration of vengeance,” and the President pledged serious retaliation against those who target Americans. This administration’s language and action stand in stark contrast to the hollow platitudes of the past, and they sent a clear message to jihadists everywhere: kill Americans and you will answer for it.
This was a large-scale mission employing fighter jets, attack helicopters, artillery and precision-guided munitions — a combined effort that reportedly used more than 100 precision weapons and included cooperation from regional partners. The military didn’t just make a statement; it struck ISIS infrastructure, weapons caches and command nodes across Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa and areas around Palmyra to disrupt their ability to strike again.
Americans who love this country understand something simple: strength deters, and weakness invites slaughter. The Biden-era strategy of retreat and apology left a vacuum where monsters regrow; today’s strikes are the kind of “peace through strength” policy that actually protects American lives and keeps our streets and service members safer.
To those on the political left who lecture about endless wars, remember that this was not an act of empire-building — it was a targeted, moral response after our own were murdered. We can pursue sensible focus on our hemisphere and border security while also making sure terrorists know America will defend its people, its partners, and the principles we stand for.
Now is the time for the country to stand united behind our troops and the commanders who carried out this mission, not to second-guess or hand-wring while our enemies regroup. The families who laid their loved ones to rest in recent days deserve our prayers, our gratitude, and a government that will act decisively when Americans are attacked. America must remain the last refuge for liberty, and that requires leaders who will act with both strength and moral clarity.
