According to unnamed officials, the Washington Post reported that the US President is considering attacking Iranian proxies who targeted American forces in Iraq and Syria.
Biden is under mounting pressure from Republicans to respond to the attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria.
Republicans in Congress have called on President Biden to respond to attacks in the Middle East as the US administration continues to bolster its combat power and defense equipment in the region.
Retired General Joseph Votel, who previously served as head of the US Central Command in the Middle East, is demanding a response to Iran’s support for militias in the region. According to the American Al Hurra station, Votel’s firsthand experience gives weight to his call for action.
Votel stated during an online panel that the US allowed the attacks to become normalized by not responding consistently.
He said: “We should do it. I think we’ve reached the point where we can.”
By deploying additional military assets to the region, we can respond more directly to the threats against our forces.
On Wednesday, Biden directly warned the Iranian leader, Ali Khamenei, that any further aggression towards American forces by Tehran would result in a response from the US.
Biden warned Khamenei that the US would respond if they continue to target US forces and that this has nothing to do with Israel.
During the past week, sites housing American forces in Iraq and Syria were targeted by missiles and drones. One attack reportedly caused minor casualties, according to the US military.
US and allied forces in Iraq and Syria were targeted at least 13 times with drones and missiles last week, according to a statement by the Pentagon on Tuesday.
According to a defense official who spoke to the Washington Post on Wednesday, an American site located in northeastern Syria was targeted in another attack. Three missiles were fired, and one of them landed inside the area, but fortunately, there were no reports of any casualties.
Several armed factions close to Iran threatened to attack American interests against the backdrop of Washington’s support for Israel since the attack launched by Hamas on October 7, which left more than 1,400 dead in Israel.
The United States currently has approximately 900 troops deployed in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq. These soldiers are part of the country’s efforts to combat ISIS, which previously controlled large areas of territory in both countries. Local forces supported by air strikes conducted by an international coalition led by Washington were able to defeat ISIS.
Iran is testing the United States for weaknesses with recent proxy attacks, said Bradley Bowman, senior director at the Center for Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
He stated that Tehran has no downside in doing so, as the US aims to avoid a large-scale war.
Bowman considered that attacking Syrian militias with air strikes could be a reasonable approach to prevent Iranian officials from inciting Iraq’s internal politics against the United States.
He continued, “Our goal in responding to these attacks is to prevent small problems from turning into bigger ones. We cannot allow our forces to be attacked without consequences.”
