When American forces get hit, President Donald Trump hits back harder. That's the message coming out of Washington after the U.S. military launched sweeping strikes across Syria on Friday, targeting Islamic State positions in response to an attack that left American blood on the ground.

Operation Hawkeye Strike Takes Flight

The Pentagon unleashed what it's calling "Operation Hawkeye Strike," a large-scale air and rocket assault hitting more than 70 Islamic State targets throughout central Syria. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth didn't mince words when he posted about the operation on X, saying it targeted "ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons sites."

"This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance," Hegseth wrote. "Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue."

Trump Delivers on His Warning

Trump took to Truth Social to announce the strikes delivered "very serious retaliation," noting that Syria's government fully backed the operation. "Just as I promised," he wrote, reinforcing his standing warning that attacks on U.S. forces would trigger overwhelming force.

The military action follows Saturday's deadly incident in Palmyra, a central Syrian city where an assailant attacked a convoy of American and Syrian forces. Two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed, while three other American troops sustained injuries.

Syrian authorities identified the attacker as a member of the country's own security forces, suspected of harboring sympathies with the Islamic State. It's a reminder that threats can come from unexpected quarters, even among supposed allies on the ground.