The Pentagon is concerned about an escalation of attacks against United States troops in the Middle East in the days ahead, officials said, as Israel prepares a ground invasion into the Gaza Strip in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.
“We’ve seen rocket and [unmanned aerial vehicle] attacks against bases housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria. And what you’ve heard from the president, from Secretary Blinken, from Secretary Austin, and many of the spokespeople across the U.S. government is our concern about the escalation of these attacks in the days ahead,” said a senior defense official at a briefing on Monday.
“We see a prospect for much more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel in the near term. And let’s be clear about it, the road leads back to Iran. Iran funds, arms, equips and trains militias and proxy forces, all across the region that have consistently undermined the stability, cost in civilian life, and at a cost the entire region of security and stability,” the official added.
