(PatriotSpotlight.org) – The United States government has announced its intention to escalate its response to recent attacks by Iran-backed groups in the Middle East, signaling a robust stance on national security.US national security adviser Jake Sullivan, has said that US countermeasures will continue in the aftermath of the drone attack in Jordan, which resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers on 28 January.
Speaking with NBC’s “Meet the Press” program on 4 February, Sullivan emphasized the US plan to carry on retaliations against attacks on its forces, stating to send a “clear message” that Washington would push back when their troops were killed or attacked. Later, talking with the CBS channel’s “Face the Nation”, he explained that the recent strikes were only the beginning of the US response, with more measures planned, some of which might not be immediately apparent. He, however, dismissed the notion of an open-ended military campaign.
On Friday US forces launched an air assault in Iraq and Syria, targeting over 80 sites associated with Iran-linked militias and the Tehran Revolutionary Guard. This series of strikes represented the most major military action in the region under the Biden-Harris administration. Mustafa Jabbar Sanad, an Iraqi MP has even proposed halting subsidized oil exports to Jordan amidst rumors linking the country to recent US airstrikes on Iraq.
Daniel E. Mouton, a nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, has claimed that the strikes show US capabilities and ability to respond to threats. However, Abbas Kadhim, who heads up the Iraq Initiative at the Atlantic Council, has stressed that the strikes demonstrate the US’s clear stance that the loss of American lives is a red line that cannot be crossed. However, concerns remain regarding the effectiveness of the US response in deterring future attacks. The White House has also been slammed for allegedly telegraphing the Iranian government prior to its recent round of strikes, allowing its commanders to flee ahead of US action. Kadhim argued that, in order to achieve its objectives, the Biden administration should consider imposing bigger costs on Iran and its extensive proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, in the region.
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