US Plans To Launch Additional Strikes Against Iran-backed Forces In Middle East

The United States intends to launch additional strikes against Iran-backed forces in the Middle East, according to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday. The decision was made in response to American strikes over the previous two days on groups in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq that support Tehran.

President Biden has made it clear that the United States will act when its forces are attacked or its citizens are killed. Sullivan highlighted that these strikes are part of a continuous response to attacks on American personnel. It was stated that the recent strikes in Syria and Iraq, which attacked more than 85 targets connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its alliance of militias, were only the beginning of the retaliation.

Although the United States has launched military operations against organisations that receive support from Iran, Sullivan did not make it clear if actions within Iran are being considered. The Biden administration does not seek a wider Middle East conflict but seeks to send a strong message.

Strikes against 36 Houthi sites in Yemen are also part of the worsening scenario, which started when the U.S. military retaliated to an attack that killed American service members in Jordan. Since October, several organisations backed by Iran have been fighting for the Palestinian cause throughout the region. These organisations include Iraqi militias in Iraq and Syria, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar to further diplomatic efforts and deal with the consequences of the conflict. In return for a short-term ceasefire in Gaza, the United States is pressuring for negotiations on the release of captives kidnapped by Hamas. A massive agreement to improve relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel is also being mediated, subject to the resolution of the Gaza conflict and the advancement of a future Palestinian state.

There are still worries about possible retaliation and the broader effects on global peace and security as the United States keeps up its military response. The situation is still dynamic, and Sullivan admits that more visible and hidden actions may be approaching.

Iran sent a warning to the U.S. on Sunday, citing worries over the possible targeting of two cargo ships in the Middle East that are long suspected of acting as a forward operating base for Iranian commandos.

Sanaa, the country’s capital, was one of six provinces under Houthi rebel control that were the focus of Sunday’s midnight attacks in Yemen. The U.S. said that the attacks targeted rebel helicopters, launch facilities, and underground missile arsenals. However, the Houthis did not release an official damage assessment.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Houthi military, stated that the attacks won’t discourage Yemeni forces and the nation from continuing their support for Palestinians against the Zionist occupation and its crimes. There will be retaliation for the aggressors’ airstrikes.” The situation remains tight, with rising tensions in the region.

Reference: Reuters, CNBC