Initial reactions to the U.S. retaliation strike against Iran in Syria and Iraq: 'Too late'

The United States attacked targets in Syria and Iraq on Friday in response to the three soldiers killed in Jordan by groups backed by Iran. Minutes later, initial reactions began to arrive, among which those of Tom Cotton, Robert Kennedy Jr. and others stood out.

Central Command announced the airstrikes in a statement, reporting that "U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from the United States. The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions".

"Too late"

One of the first reactions came from Kennedy, current independent candidate for president. John F. Kennedy's nephew criticized the actions of the United States abroad and promised to change the course of reaching the White House.

"U.S. Begins Strikes on Militias in Iraq and Syria, Retailing for Fatal Drone Attack. This escalation would not have been necessary if we hadn't put our brave young service people in the crosshairs of these Shi'a militias — militias that exist only as a legacy of our illegal war in Iraq. Both Iraq and Syria have asked the U.S. to leave their territory," he wrote on his X account, formerly known as Twitter.

"We are risking our young people's lives and spending money we do not have. These tiny outposts have no ability to stop Iran attacking our allies or getting the bomb. All they do is open the U.S. up to mandatory escalations each time an American hero gets killed," he added.

He was joined by Tom Cotton (R-AK), who had previously asked Joe Biden to react to the attacks in Jordan.

"The administration's strikes tonight against Iran's proxies came far too late and after telegraphing how we would attack. Only further, more devastating attacks against Iranian forces will scare the ayatollahs," he said on social media after speaking with Fox News.

"The administration's intentional leaks about what we would attack allowed Iranian leaders to flee. We must target the Iranian leaders enabling these attacks to let them know we will not tolerate the killing of Americans. Anything else vindicates Iran's proxy strategy," the Republican senator added.

Another major reaction came from Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State during part of the Trump Administration. Also in dialogue with Fox News, he assured that "the single measure of their effectiveness will be whether they deter further Iranian aggression."

"Not just aggression in Jordan or Iraq, but Iranian attacks on U.S. interests anywhere in the world, support for Hamas and Hezbollah against our ally Israel and Iranian attacks on military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea included," added the also author of Never Give an Inch.

John Cornyn (R-TX), who had also encouraged the president to respond to Iran for the attacks, reposted the Central Command statement announcing the attacks.

Finally, Joe Kent, a retired officer and candidate for Washington's 3rd congressional district for 2024, commented that he disagreed with the attacks and even proposed withdrawing troops from the region.

"So we are bombing Syria & Iraq after telegraphing, Iran moved anyone that matters, but we left our troops in the same locations so Iran can still strike us when they want. Congress should put a resolution on the floor to pull our troops out immediately. See who wants to put their name on leaving our troops as bait," he posted on his X account.

What happened in Jordan?

Central Command announced last Sunday that three U.S. soldiers had lost their lives following a drone attack on a military base in Jordan. They were joined by another 25 wounded soldiers who were hit by the aggression, which came from terrorist groups supported by Iran, causing many Republicans in Congress to pressure Joe Biden to respond.

The White House reacted in a statement released the same Sunday, in which it promised to honor the lives of the fallen soldiers.

"The three American service members we have lost were patriots in the highest sense of the word. And our nation will never forget their ultimate sacrifice. Together, we will fulfill the sacred obligation we have to their families. We will strive to be worthy of their honor and valor. We will continue our commitment to fighting terrorism. And rest assured, we will hold all those responsible accountable at a time and in a manner we choose," the letter stated.