The country carries out attacks against groups supported by Iran in retaliation for an action that killed 3 US soldiers
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Sunday (Jan 4, 2024) that the United States intends to carry out new attacks against Iranian-backed groups, such as the Houthis, in the Middle East. In the last 2 days, the country made investments against factions in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
“We intend to carry out additional strikes and actions to continue sending a clear message that the United States will respond when our forces are attacked, when our people are killed”, said Sullivan in an interview with the broadcaster NBC.
The US is retaliating for a drone strike in Jordan that killed 3 US soldiers on January 28, 2024. US President Joe Biden blamed Iran for the action.
“While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by Iranian-backed radical militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”, he said in an official statement. The Democrat stated that the government “will hold everyone involved in the episode accountable”. Here's the complete of the text, in English (PDF – 52 kB).
Iran denied participation in the attack.
Asked whether the US has ruled out attacking targets in Iran, Sullivan responded: “I will not say what we have ruled out or not ruled out from the point of view of military action”. And he added: “What I will say is that the president is determined to respond with force to attacks on our people”. According to him, Biden “does not seek a wider war in the Middle East”.
The Americans are also attacking the Houthis due to attacks by the rebel group on ships passing through the Gulf of Aden since November 2023. Hostilities intensified in late December 2023 and the first half of January 2024. group claims the action is a show of support for the Palestinians and Hamas. The main targets are vessels from the United States and the United Kingdom, allies of Israel.
The group has its origins in northern Yemen and belongs to the Shiite segment of the Muslim religion, just like Iran. The religion unites the group and the government of Iran. Both consider themselves members of the “Axis of Resistance”, which includes Hamas.
Attacks on ships have occurred in the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab Al-Mandab Strait. It is the connection between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Cargo ships coming from China need to pass through the area to access the Suez Canal on their way to Europe. The same happens with oil tankers from Russia to countries such as China, India and North Korea, which pass through the region to exit the canal.
The region is strategic for global trade. Around 15% of all international goods pass through there. As shown by the Power360the cost of sea freight doubled because of the tension in the region.
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