The White House said Monday that Iran was in some cases “actively facilitating” rocket and drone attacks by Iranian-backed proxy groups against U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria, and President Biden has ordered the Defense Department to prepare for more and respond appropriately. .
White House spokesman John Kirby said there had been an increase in such attacks over the past week, and especially in recent days, but that the United States would not allow threats to its interests in the region “to remain unanswered”.
He said the United States believed these groups were supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) and the Iranian government, which also continued to support militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
“We know that Iran is closely monitoring these events and, in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and inciting others who want to exploit the conflict for their own good or that of Iran,” he said.
A view of the interior of the Ain al-Asad military air base that houses US and foreign troops in Iraq’s western province of Anbar. AFP via Getty Images
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian speaks during a news conference after the second summit of the 3+3 regional platform in Tehran, Iran, October 23, 2023. via REUTERS
There has been an increase in attacks against US forces since the conflict in Israel escalated on October 7 when militants from the Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel.
“We are deeply concerned about the possibility of a significant escalation of these attacks in the coming days,” Kirby said.
Biden has sent naval power to the Middle East in the past two weeks, including two aircraft carriers, other warships and about 2,000 Marines.
“We know Iran’s goal is to maintain some level of denial here, but we’re not going to allow them to do that,” Kirby said. “Nor will we allow any threat to our interests in the region to go unanswered.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn