US mulling ‘military options’ against Russia in Syria: Report

The United States is reportedly considering a “military option” against Russia’s presence in the skies over Syria, amid repeated calls by Damascus for the expulsion of Washington’s occupation forces from the war-ravaged Arab country.

An unnamed Pentagon official told the Associated Press on Friday that the US intends to “address increasing Russian operations in the skies over Syria.”

The US official refused to tell what the options the US is considering against Russia are.

This comes as the Syrian government led by President Bashar Assad has repeatedly urged the US forces to leave the country.

However, the unknown Pentagon official insisted that the US will continue to fly sorties in the western part of Syria.

The Pentagon official also said that the “growing cooperation” between Russia, Syria, and Iran is aimed at driving the US out of Syria once and for all.

Earlier this month, the US Air Forces Central commander Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich claimed that Russian fighter jets had “harassed” American MQ-9 Reaper drones over Syria on three separate occasions in a week.

The incident took place at a time when the Russian Air Force was conducting joint exercises with its Syrian counterpart, with Moscow accusing the US of violating restricted airspace with the drone flights.

Since 2014, the US has deployed forces and military equipment in Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate under the pretext of fighting the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

The American forces have thus far sustained their illegal presence on the Syrian soil although Damascus and its allies defeated Daesh in late 2019.

The US military claims its presence in Syria is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh.

Damascus, however, maintains the deployment is meant to plunder the country’s natural resources. Former President Donald Trump of the United States admitted on several occasions that American forces were in the Arab country for its oil wealth.

ME