President Donald Trump's vow of retaliation after an attack in Syria underscores that the U.S. mission in the region remains active and dangerous, Eric Navarro, Middle East Institute military strategy director, told Newsmax on Sunday.
"I see this as a test of the new, newly forged relationship between the U.S. and the new president of Syria," Navarro said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend," adding that he would not speculate on the number of troops that remain in Syria.
Trump said Saturday that "there will be very serious retaliation" after two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed in an ambush in Syria that the United States blames on the Islamic State group.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said the attack targeted soldiers involved in ongoing counterterrorism operations in the region and is under active investigation.
Navarro told Newsmax that the key question is whether Syria's new leadership can "control their own country" and whether it can "eliminate the terrorist elements there."
He said he believes the Americans involved "were members of the Iowa National Guard" on "an anti-ISIS mission," and said the alleged perpetrator "previously worked with Syrian government forces and then was radicalized."
Navarro also reacted after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted a warning on X following the incident.
"Actions speak louder than words," Navarro said, adding that the U.S. response will be to gather intelligence. "We will gather intelligence about where these forces are, and we will eliminate them."
He cautioned that retaliation does not end the broader mission, saying the U.S. remains engaged across the region to protect American interests and allies.
"It's a constant battle every single day," Navarro said. "The threats don't go away."
But if the United States reduces its presence, "the threats will metastasize and will get greater and have a greater impact on our allies in the region and even pose a threat to the U.S. population," Navarro said.
"So they must press and retaliate and show that if you attack U.S. forces, you will die."
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