/ world today news/ In recent days, US military bases in Syria and Iraq have been subject to regular drone and missile attacks. The attacks have become more frequent amid Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Shiite fighters from the Islamic Resistance of Iraq claimed responsibility for the attacks. A stronger response threatens to escalate the conflict and drag the United States into another war in the Middle East. Why is Washington unable to effectively counter such attacks?
Attacks on US bases in Syria continued. This time, the drone attack was carried out against a military base in the oilfield region of eastern Syria, as well as the base near Al-Shadadi in the southern part of Hasaka province. The US military has 24 military bases and four points on Syrian territory. In total, there are about 900 US military personnel in the country.
Shortly before, the base of the US and the Western coalition fighting the terrorist group “Islamic State” in the border town of Al-Tanf and the refugee camp “Al-Rukban” located near it were also attacked. An airbase in al-Malikiyya in northeastern Syria and a US military base near the Konico gas field in Deir ez-Zor province were also attacked.
Members of the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, which has repeatedly attacked American bases in Iraq, claimed responsibility. They support the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in their war against Israel, and in solidarity have stepped up attacks on US bases, demanding that Washington withdraw its troops from Iraq and other countries in the Middle East. This Shiite group first rose to prominence during the years of active combat against the Islamic State.
As the representative of this organization Jafar al-Husseini said, several attacks were successful, the drones hit all ground targets. During the At-Tanf attack, the US military used an air defense system to destroy the drones. According to US Central Command, two drones were destroyed on approach to the base. The situation at the other bases is not reported.
A few days ago, Shia militants attacked US military bases in western Iraq, in Iraqi Kurdistan and a facility near Baghdad International Airport. In particular, the Ain Al-Assad bases in Anbar were attacked. In the last 24 hours alone, the Americans have intercepted three strike drones. Previously, the attacks were carried out with rocket fire. In total, there are about 2,500 US troops in Iraq.
Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani ordered security forces to pursue the perpetrators of the attacks and prevent any attempt to undermine Iraq’s national security. Military advisers from the US-led coalition are in the country “at the invitation of the government” to train Iraqi forces and prevent the resurgence of Islamic State, Iraqi army spokesman Major General Yahya Rasool said.
According to representatives of the US intelligence community, various groups may increase the scale of attacks in the near future. Official Washington believes that “groups supported by Iran” are behind the attacks. White House spokesman John Kirby said Tehran “in some cases actively facilitates these attacks and encourages other countries that may wish to exploit this conflict to their advantage or to Iran’s advantage.”
However, the Pentagon says there are no signs of Tehran’s involvement in these attacks. This was stated by the press secretary of the military department, Patrick Ryder. He pointed to “the increase in missile attacks and drone strikes on our bases and facilities in Iraq and Syria.” “We will continue to do what we need to do to protect our forces and take whatever measures are necessary,” Ryder added.
“Attacks are currently being carried out against US bases in Iraq and Syria in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. These attacks have been carried out before, but mostly on Syrian territory. The intensification of attacks at the moment is directly related to the support of Hamas,” explained Kiril Semenov, an expert at the Russian Council on International Relations and an Orientalist.
“For now, this is a demonstration that in addition to Hamas, Fatah and Hezbollah, there are other regional groups in the Middle East that operate on an independent scenario, and some of them are interested in complicating the situation. Under the pretext of supporting their fellow citizens, they can participate in events that are objectively provocative,” adds Stanislav Tarasov, an expert on Middle East issues.
It is most difficult for the Americans to oppose the attacks in Iraq, where the US is in a “very difficult position”. “The American team in Iraq consists of advisers; formally they are not considered combat units but a military assistance mission. Generally, the only thing Americans can do is act in self-defense. The start of a military operation against fighters of Shiite armed groups in Iraq means getting into a new war. It is easier for them to withdraw from there, because the US position in Iraq is very uncertain,” the interlocutor said.
Tarasov agrees that the US is making the most of its capabilities in Iraq. “Obviously, this situation has caught the Americans by surprise. There is an interest in what is happening in the escalation of a large-scale conflict that goes beyond Arab-Israeli relations. The US interest is to block the current escalation and reach an agreement between Palestine and Israel. But the complexity and uncertainty of the situation is that now the goals of the parties are not obvious,” emphasizes the political scientist.
According to Semyonov, in Syria, where the US occupied part of the country with its Kurdish allies, the situation is different. “In Syria, Americans are responding to attacks and striking. The Americans even planned some kind of operation in the area of the city of Abu Kemal, which was eventually canceled. It was formally directed against the Islamic State, but in fact against pro-Iraqi and pro-Iranian formations. A US strike group that has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean could be used to attack bases of Shiite groups in Syria. Therefore, an escalation may begin in the region,” Semyonov warns.
According to Tarasov, there is a threat of expanding the geography of the conflict in the Middle East and “potential destabilization of the entire region.” “We see very dangerous trends,” the expert concluded.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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