Iranian terror proxies increase attacks against US army bases in Middle East
US military facilities attacked 23 times since Oct. 7
American defense officials have noted a dramatic increase in attacks against U.S. military facilities across the Middle East since the brutal Hamas invasion and assault against Israel took place on Oct 7.
A whopping 23 attacks on U.S. Middle East bases by Iranian terror proxy groups have been documented during this volatile period.
The regime's terror proxies, such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen, have mainly used drones and rockets in their attacks against American military facilities, with the majority of the attacks reportedly taking place in the last two weeks, between Oct. 17 and Oct. 30.
Some 14 U.S. military bases were attacked in Iraq and an additional 9 attacks in Syria.
An unnamed senior Pentagon official is concerned that the Iranian-supported attacks on U.S. facilities in the Middle East could potentially result in a wider regional war.
"We are concerned about all elements of Iran's threat network increasing their attacks in a way that risks miscalculation or tipping the region into war," the official stated.
He stressed that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has played a central role in the attacks against U.S. military facilities across the region.
“It’s about Iran and the (IRGC), who use infrastructure, militants, and proxies on the ground across the Middle East to include both Iraq and Syria,” the senior U.S. defense official said and warned that Washington would respond to the Iranian-coordinated attacks.
“We reserve the right to respond at a time and place of our choosing, and we’re going to continue to do so.”
The Iranian ayatollah regime has threatened to escalate its terror activities against both Israel and American targets to prevent the Israeli counteroffensive operation against the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip.
While the Biden administration prefers a diplomatic solution, the White House has dispatched air carriers and other war ships to the region to assist Israel.
Earlier in October, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that Washington would send a second aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean. While not explicitly naming Iran and Hezbollah, Austin confirmed that the purpose was “to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack.”
The American defense secretary also affirmed Washington’s “ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war.”
In late October, American F-15 and F-16 fighter jets carried out airstrikes against two facilities affiliated with Iranian terror proxies in Syria.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he had ordered the U.S. military strike in order to defend American personnel and facilities across the Middle East.
“I directed the strikes in order to protect and defend our personnel, to degrade and disrupt the ongoing series of attacks against the United States and our partners, and to deter Iran and Iran-backed militia groups from conducting or supporting further attacks on United States personnel and facilities,” Biden stated.
The Iranian regime has also activated its terror proxy in Yemen, the Houthis.
On Tuesday, Israeli fighter jets shot down drones in an attack the Houthis claimed responsibility for.
In addition, Israel’s Arrow interceptor, part of the military's aerial defense system, was used for the first time to neutralize an incoming hostile missile from the Red Sea, most likely fired by the Houthis.
Israel Defense Forces confirmed that all the threats were neutralized outside Israeli territory.
“All the threats were intercepted outside the territory of the State of Israel. No intrusion into Israeli territory was detected.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.