U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered stepped-up military operations against the Islamic State group and delegated more authority to his generals, but without a comprehensive Syria strategy, his approach risks further confrontation with Syria, Iran and even Russia, according to U.S. officials and analysts.
While the U.S. military's downing of a Syrian jet on Sunday was a rarity in modern warfare, the first in 18 years, it was not an isolated incident.
The United States has taken a series of actions over the past three months demonstrating its willingness to carry out strikes, mostly in self defense, against Syrian government forces and their backers, including Iran.