American forces have been under attack throughout the Middle East by Iranian proxies. US troops have sustained over 20 casualties but no deaths.
Iranian backed militias have been threatening American troops for decades. This was a major reason that Suleimani was killed by US forces in 2020. The NY Post reports:
Iran’s proxy terrorists have increasingly targeted Mideast bases that include American military forces, raising the specter of the US being dragged into an armed conflict.
US and allied military personnel have thwarted many of the attacks, although others have caused some damage and minor injuries.
The Biden Administration has called for deescalation, not realizing that the entire point of Hamas’ attack was to escalate. Fox News explains:
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday that the U.S. expects Iranian proxies to seek opportunities to escalate the Israel-Hamas war and asserted that the Biden administration is prepared to respond accordingly if American civilians or armed forces become targets.
”This is not what we want, not what we’re looking for. We don’t want escalation,” Blinken said. “We don’t want to see our forces or our personnel come under fire. But if that happens, we’re ready for it.”
Force protection for forces in the Middle East is critical, and will hopefully be the priority for the Defense Department. The vulnerability of these bases also calls into question continued US presence in Iraq and Syria.
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