The United States has unleashed a terrifying message to its enemies, and it came wrapped in bombs, fire, and bloodshed.
In a chilling statement that stunned the world, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed that American forces had launched a deadly operation in Syria, hunting down ISIS fighters in what he openly called “a declaration of vengeance.”
According to Hegseth, US forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE earlier today, targeting ISIS fighters, weapons depots, and infrastructure across Syria.
The strikes were launched in direct response to an attack on US forces on December 13 in Palmyra, a historic city now once again drenched in violence.
“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said in a blunt and unapologetic message posted on X. The language was raw, aggressive, and unmistakably final.
Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, Hegseth warned, the United States would show no restraint when American lives are targeted.
“If you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you,” he declared.
Those words were not empty threats.
“Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies,” Hegseth added. “Lots of them. And we will continue.”
US officials say the strikes focused on known ISIS hideouts and operational centres linked to the Palmyra attack.
Fighter jets and precision weapons were reportedly used to ensure maximum damage to militant networks while limiting broader conflict, though the death toll among ISIS fighters remains undisclosed.
The brutal tone of the statement has sent shockwaves across the Middle East and beyond, raising fears of escalating violence while also signalling Washington’s renewed hardline approach.
Analysts say the message was designed to instil fear — not just in ISIS ranks, but in any group considering attacks on American targets.
For now, Syria burns once again, ISIS buries its dead, and the United States has made one thing brutally clear: strike an American, and the response will be swift, personal, and deadly.