In the past week, Russian Federation confirmed that it would treat US-led coalition aircraft flying west of the Euphrates River in Syria as "potential targets", while Iran fired missiles from inside its territory against ISIS targets in eastern Syria.
The U.S. military said it shot down an Iranian-made, armed drone in southern Syria on Tuesday, marking the third time this month that that the U.S. has downed aircraft affiliated with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.
The incidents reflect mounting competition for areas of Syria where Islamic State (IS) insurgents are in retreat, leaving swathes of territory up for grabs and posing the question of what comes next for US policy that is shaped first and foremost by the priority of vanquishing the jihadists. The extremists have been trying to fortify their positions in the Syrian city in the face of a US -led coalition onslaught on Raqqa, the group's de facto capital.
Russian Federation reacted angrily to the USA shootdown of the Syrian jet, which the Pentagon said was dropping bombs near the US -backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a mixed Kurdish-Arab militia fighting Islamic State.
The Syrian army said the jet was shot down while flying a mission against Islamic State. He said government forces began attacking the SDF on Saturday, using warplanes, artillery and tanks in areas that SDF had liberated from ISIS. "If the regime continues attacking our positions in Raqqa province, we will be forced to retaliate", SDF spokesman Talal Silo said.
The U.S. has also fired on Syrian government ground forces in the east on two occasions in just the last month.
A Syrian military official in Damascus said the truce was not extended. "There could be problems between it and Soheil Hassan", said the commander, referring to the Syrian officer leading the government offensive in Raqqa province.
Sunday's missile strike came amid recent confrontations in Syria between US -backed forces and pro-government factions.
Australia has six fighter jets based in the United Arab Emirates that strike targets in Syria and Iraq.
Bassam Abu Abdullah, a professor of International Relations at Damascus University, said the advances by pro-Assad troops undermined USA plans in the area to sever a land corridor linking the capitals of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon.
Flights cancelled amid searing heat in south-western US
Planes are being grounded in Phoenix , Arizona while revellers in Las Vegas are being forced inside by the blistering heat. Weather service meteorologist Chris Breckenridge said: "That's deadly heat no matter how you slice it".
Some Trump appointees saw Iran's missile strike as an illustration of Tehran's regional ambitions, which they have argued make it an existential enemy, according to the three US officials.
The IRGC said on June 18 that it had launched several missiles from Iran into eastern Syria targeting IS fighters in retaliation for attacks on Iran's parliament and the shrine of the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, that left 18 dead.
A Guard statement carried on its website said the strike came from its bases in western Iran.
The launch, which hit Syria's eastern city of Deir el-Zour on Sunday night, appeared to be Iran's first missile attack overseas in over 15 years and its first in the Syrian conflict amid its support of embattled President Bashar Assad.
Iranian television showed footage of the missiles being launched into the night sky.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif defended the attack in a Twitter post on Monday.
Israel is also concerned about Iran's missile launches and has deployed a multilayered missile-defense system.
Iranian officials meanwhile offered a series of threats of more strikes, including former Guard chief Gen. Mohsen Rezai.
"The message of this operation against terrorist groups and also their regional and global sponsors is that they should never try to undermine the national security of Iran", he was quoted by Press TV as saying.
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