US troops in Syria come under fire in new tit-for-tat cycle with Iran proxies Washington finds itself on precarious ground as it seeks to keep hostile militias in check while pursuing talks with Iran over its nuclear programme. Tuesday 29/06/2021 Members of Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) carry pictures and mock coffins during a symbolic funeral in Baghdad, Iraq, June 29, 2021. (REUTERS) WASHINGTON -US strikes on pro-Iran militia targets in Syria and Iraq over the weekend seem to have unleashed a new cycle of violence indirectly pitting the US against Tehran. Washington finds itself on precarious ground as it seeks to keep hostile militias in check while pursuing talks with Iran over its nuclear programme.