The United States does not intend to stop strikes in the Middle East and will continue to respond to the death of its military personnel, it said on February 6 at press conferences American Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha.
“The response we have demonstrated over the last few days will continue,” he said in response to a question about US strikes in Iraq and Syria.
Blinken stressed the importance for the United States to convey the White House’s position to the pro-Iranian groups involved in attacks on American military bases.
“It is important that they not only learn their lesson, but also take action by stopping attacks on our military,” the head of the US State Department added.
At the same time, he emphasized the lack of desire on the part of the American leadership to escalate tensions in the Middle East.
“We have made it clear that we do not want the conflict to escalate and do not want escalation. We also made it clear that in the event of a threat to our military personnel, our people, in the event of an attack, we will respond. We will protect them,” the diplomat added.
On January 28, American troops at a base in Jordan were attacked by a drone. According to the Pentagon, three soldiers were killed and over 25 were injured as a result of the attack. Washington blamed Iran, among others, for what happened. CNN noted that this is the first time since the beginning of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that American troops have died from “enemy fire.”
Biden in his statement he named the culprits attacks on Iran-backed groups operating in Iraq and Syria. He indicated that they would be held accountable for the attack.
On February 1, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said that the United States will take all measures necessary to protect its forces in the Middle East. According to him, he, like Biden, will not tolerate attacks on American troops. At the same time, Washington will continue to strive to avoid expanding conflict in the region, Austin added.
The next day it became known that at least 11 targets of pro-Iranian formations were bombed. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed strikes against targets in Iraq and Syria. US forces hit more than 85 targets using a large number of aircraft, including long-range bombers, which were sent from the United States of America.
During a UN Security Council meeting on this topic on February 5, Russia's permanent representative to the organization, Vasily Nebenzya, said that US strikes on Iraq and Syria are designed to further inflame the conflict in the Middle East and could become a threat to international peace. He called on the international community to unconditionally condemn the reckless actions of Washington and its allies in the Middle East, which violate the sovereignty of Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic.
Attacks on American bases in the Middle East have become more frequent amid the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in which the United States supported Israel.
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