TEHRAN – Iran has condemned the U.S. strikes against Syria, saying the U.S. presence in the Arab country is “illegal.”

“The U.S. has called the recent attacks by its transgressive army against popular groups and counterterrorism forces of Syria ‘a direct response to attacks and continued threats against the United States troops’,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Twitter. 

He added, “The truth: the presence of the occupying America in Syria in itself and its aggression against the defenders of Syria’s independence and territorial integrity is illegal and condemned.”

The United States has launched a series of precision strikes against Syria that escalated tensions without any credible reason.

“At President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted precision airstrikes in Deir ez-Zor Syria today,” CENTCOM Communication Director Colonel Joe Buccino said in a statement on Tuesday.  “These precision strikes are intended to defend and protect U.S. forces from attacks like the ones on August 15 against U.S. personnel by Iran-backed groups. The U.S. strikes targeted infrastructure facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM put out a similar statement, saying that “the strike in eastern Syria was in response to attacks by Iran-backed groups against US forces in Syria on August 15th and demonstrates our resolve to defend U.S. forces and equipment.”

The US carried out additional airstrikes on Wednesday night. 

The U.S. military carried out the strikes with AC-140 gunships, Apache attack helicopters, and M777 howitzers, US Central Command said in a statement.

The U.S. alleged that the strikes were in repones to attacks by groups close to Iran, a charge Iran has denied. 

"We will respond appropriately and proportionally to attacks on our servicemembers," Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commander of US Central Command, said in the statement, according to CNN. "No group will strike at our troops with impunity. We will take all necessary measures to defend our people."