US response to ISIS sends clear message of deterrence

Global Watch | 2026-01-02

Recent US airstrikes against "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) targets in the Middle East, following the killing of American service members, have sent an unmistakable message: attacks on US forces will be met with decisive and overwhelming force.

These strikes were not improvised or reactionary -- they reflected a long-standing US doctrine that transcends administrations force protection is non-negotiable and that deterrence must be enforced.

The strikes targeted ISIS leadership nodes, logistics hubs and operational infrastructure, demonstrating a calculated approach to degrade the group’s capabilities. This was not about widening the conflict but about enforcing red lines.

The operations were deliberately scoped, avoiding civilian infrastructure and focusing solely on ISIS targets. The message was clear: the US presence in the region remains defensive, not expansionist, but any attack on its forces will carry severe consequences.

The strikes also serve as a reminder of how far ISIS has fallen from its peak. A decade ago, ISIS controlled vast territories across Iraq and Syria, governed millions through brutality and openly pursued global ambitions.

That version of ISIS has been dismantled. Today, the group is fragmented, operating through small, mobile cells rather than conventional units. Its tactics have shifted to hit-and-run attacks and localized violence, a far cry from the sustained offensives and territorial control it once wielded.

This transformation is no accident -- it is the result of sustained pressure from US forces, regional allies and partners who systematically dismantled ISIS's leadership, finances and recruitment networks.

Despite its decline, ISIS continues to target US and partner forces in a desperate bid for relevance. Attacking American troops is a way for the group to signal survival, attract attention and attempt to reassert ideological significance.

Yet these efforts consistently backfire. Every attack trigger intelligence-driven responses that further weaken the organization. Leadership losses are difficult to replace, communications become riskier and operational freedom is further constrained. In essence, ISIS trades fleeting visibility for long-term attrition, a losing strategy that underscores its diminished capacity.

The US response to these attacks is not about revenge, but enforcement. By striking quickly and precisely, the United States reinforced several critical realities: US forces will defend themselves decisively, terrorist attacks will not weaken US resolve but instead harden it and groups like ISIS cannot gain leverage through violence.

Just as importantly, the response reassured allies and partners that US commitments remain credible and operational, even as global attention shifts to other regions.

ISIS today is a shadow of its former self dangerous but constrained. The recent US strikes underscore why that remains the case.

When American service members are attacked, the response is not rhetorical. It is measured, forceful and designed to ensure that groups like ISIS remain contained. This clarity more than the strikes themselves is what sustains deterrence and ensures that ISIS remains a diminished threat.