type: timeline_event
On December 20, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized Operation Hawkeye Strike, a large-scale retaliatory military operation targeting Islamic State positions across Syria in response to an ambush attack on December 13 in Palmyra, Syria, that killed two Iowa National Guard soldiers — Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29 — and a civilian interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat. The operation commenced at approximately 4:00 PM Eastern Time and employed more than 70 airstrikes using approximately 100 munitions, deploying F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, A-10 Warthogs, Apache attack helicopters, and HIMARS guided rocket artillery systems. Jordan participated in a supporting role with its own F-16s. The operation's name was chosen as a tribute to the two fallen soldiers from Iowa, known as the "Hawkeye State." U.S. Central Command reported the strikes focused on ISIS weapon storage facilities, infrastructure, and operational positions in central Syria, where an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 ISIS militants remain active across Syria and Iraq.
Hegseth announced the operation publicly, stating: "This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance." The operation represented one of the most significant U.S. military actions in Syria since the formal territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019 and the largest U.S. airstrikes in Syria in that period. Trump had attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base on December 17 for the three killed Americans and had promised "very serious retaliation." Syria's new post-Assad government, which had come to power following the collapse of the Assad regime, provided full cooperation with U.S. forces during the operation. The action received bipartisan Congressional support, distinguishing it from other Hegseth-authorized military operations — particularly the controversial boat strikes near Venezuela — that had generated significant oversight friction with lawmakers.
Operation Hawkeye Strike underscored the persistent threat posed by ISIS remnants in Syria's desert regions despite the organization's territorial defeat. Military officials indicated that follow-up strikes and sustained operations might be necessary, given ISIS's use of ungoverned territories and guerrilla tactics to maintain operational capacity. The operation also illustrated the Trump administration's stated doctrine of swift, overwhelming retaliatory force in response to attacks on American personnel — a posture Hegseth had telegraphed in public statements throughout 2025. The strikes occurred against a backdrop of ongoing Congressional scrutiny of Hegseth over the boat strike operations near Venezuela and a separate Pentagon Inspector General investigation into his use of the Signal messaging application for sharing sensitive military information, creating an unusual situation in which the Defense Secretary was simultaneously the subject of oversight proceedings and the authorizing official for a major combat operation.