After Hamas' attack in southern Israel in early October 2023, the US has deployed forces to the Eastern Mediterranean and carried out air strikes against Iran-affiliated targets in Syria (Stars and Stripes, Military.com, NPR). The geographic origin of and weaponry used in a military strike would be immaterial so long as the weapon detonates or discharges on or over pertinent territory. A cyberattack alone would not count, but a strike in, on, or over the airspace or territorial waters of Israel (including the Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and the West Bank) or Lebanon would count. Any acknowledgment of a strike that would satisfy all of the elements of the question and conditions in the question description, including the discharge or detonation of a weapon, would count, irrespective of whether members of the US armed forces were "on the ground." If the US publicly acknowledges that it sent forces into a pertinent area without clearly stating whether weapons were discharged or detonated by US forces, credible open source reporting would be used to determine whether the US did indeed discharge or detonate a weapon. Both the strike and the acknowledgement must occur during the question's open period to count. US forces firing weapons defensively against drones or missiles that are in flight (i.e., to prevent them from reaching their target) in and of itself would not count, irrespective of the putative target of the drones or missiles.

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The question closed "Not before 8 March 2024" with a closing date of 8 March 2024.

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