In a high-stakes move, the United States conducted a strike on pro-Iranian targets in Syria, resulting in the reported death of nine individuals associated with Iran-backed groups in the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization, confirmed the casualties, emphasizing that the strike targeted sites utilized by pro-Iranian factions. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin justified the military action, citing recent attacks on US service members in the Middle East by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and their allies.

Simultaneously, tensions escalate in southern Syria as at least three members of the pro-Iranian Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah were reported dead in Israeli strikes on military positions. The London-based NGO identified the targeted sites, including a Syrian air defense unit and a radar station. Meanwhile, Israel launched an airstrike from eastern Lebanon, causing material damage in southern Syria.

In a separate incident, a US military drone MQ-9 Reaper was shot down by Yemen's Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen. The drone, produced by "General Atomics," adds another layer to the complex geopolitical landscape in the region.