by Hummam Sheikh Ali

DAMASCUS, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. strikes on both Iraq and Syria to curb Iran's influence pose a significant threat to peace in an already volatile Middle East, and are likely to exacerbate tensions in the region, Syrian experts say.

As many as 23 fighters, including nine Syrians, were killed in the U.S. attacks on Iranian strongholds in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Friday night and into Saturday morning. While 16 people, including civilians, were killed by the U.S. airstrikes on the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces in Iraq.

Following the attacks, the Syrian Foreign Ministry on Saturday lashed out at the U.S. administration, accusing Washington of being a primary source of global instability.

Experts say that the attacks, purportedly a response to the drone attack that killed three American soldiers in Jordan on Jan. 28, signify growing tensions arising from the Gaza conflict and a shared objective between the U.S. and Israel to curtail Iran's influence in the region.

Osama Danura, a political expert based in the Syrian capital Damascus, said the attacks are consistent with a pattern of conduct that the U.S. has adopted.

Instead of addressing the Gaza conflict diplomatically and politically, the U.S. has escalated the conflict through hostility, endangering peace in the already volatile Middle East, he said, adding such actions undermine international peace by prolonging the confrontation in the region and beyond.

"The latest escalation only worsens the situation," Danoura noted, adding the U.S. attacks are giving opponents of American forces in Syria more motivation to resist and drive out the occupying forces.

The U.S. has made a mistake in seeking its ultimate goal and the way it is currently handling the situation, and "will inevitably face the consequences of their actions," he said.

Meanwhile, Danoura pointed out that the U.S. attacks will inadvertently benefit terrorist groups like the Islamic State (IS), as the fighters targetted by the attacks are responsible for combating the remaining members of the IS in the region.

These operations have given these groups a chance to come back to life and regain control of the area where they were previously hiding and operating cautiously, he said.

Following the U.S. attacks, the Syrian Defense Ministry on Saturday said the move, which it said lacked any justification, was an attempt to weaken the Syrian army and its allies in their fight against terrorism.

Muhammad al-Omari, another Damascus-based Syrian political analyst, said that the U.S. attacks were evidence that Washington was attempting to use force to destroy a threat or undesired group.

The U.S. seeks to entangle Iraq in internal political conflicts, sowing the seeds of discord and chaos in the country, which is yet to recover from the 2003 invasion by the U.S.-led coalition, he said.

"This aggressive action has placed the region in a highly volatile state. We are now just one step away from direct confrontation, and any mishandling could push us over the edge," Al-Omari warned.