The Pentagon will strengthen its presence in the region, in a scenario in which new Israeli operations could trigger retaliatory attacks.
USA positions itself military forces In Middle East .
This, with the aim of discourage a response Iran due to recent attacks Israel against Hezbollah and the ground operation that Israeli troops launched in the south of Lebanon .
This is what they assured officials of the North American country and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the The Wall Street Journal .
Since the administration of President Joe Biden They assume that Iran could carry out a new attack against Israel, in retaliation. for the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the military actions they carried out in Lebanon.
This occurs in the middle of a scenario in which tensions increased in the region.
What do the military troops the United States positions in the Middle East look like?
The United States Department of Defense is considering increase the number of combat aircraft they have in the Middle East .
More precisely, F-15E, F-16 and A-10 aircraft of the Air Force.
The North American country It also has F-22 aircraft in the region but the number of units of that particular model should remain the same.
A point to consider is that F-15E and F-16 fighters played an important role in shooting down Iranian projectiles when Tehran’s leaders ordered a missile and drone strike against Israel in April 2024.
The Pentagon too maintains the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the region, while the USS Harry S. Truman begins to mobilize at the end of September.
These are conforming specimens a key role in its naval power .
The United States also has a Navy Amphibious Ready Group in the Mediterranean, which brings together some 2,200 men according to the aforementioned media.
At present, The country has around 40,000 troops in the region, and this will increase to around 43,000 with the arrival reinforcements.
Why the United States is positioning military troops in the Middle East
The objective is deter an Iranian response by recent Israeli attacks and operations.
From the Biden administration, they stated that They want to prevent a wider war from breaking out that could weaken their forces. that’s why U.S. officials urged their Israeli counterparts that any ground incursion be limited and not prolonged.
On the other hand, the president declared at the end of September that does not believe an operation of this type is necessary and calls for “a ceasefire now” .
Regarding Iran’s potential response, various analysts have suggested that it could go from a massive missile and drone bombardment – like that seen in April – to new attacks on military bases .
However, according to the Journal,Tehran officials appear divided on how to respond in the face of recent Israeli operations.
What positions do Iranian leaders have on how to respond to Israeli operations?
The current Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, stated in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly that hopes Iran will play a “constructive role in the evolution of the world order” .
These remarks, which he made in September in New York, were interpreted by some analysts as signs of a desire for moderation .
However, after Israel launched its ground offensive in southern Lebanon, the president said: “a decisive reaction is necessary” .
According to the American newspaper, There are two main different positions among Tehran’s leaders .
Are radical leaders who want to deal with the situation.
In addition, Pezeshkian administration hopes to obtain concessions from the West in future negotiations Sources close to Iranian domestic politics told the Journal, speaking on condition of anonymity.
One of the latter assured that, just after the assassination of Nasrallah, a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran was held, during which there was no final consensus on the way forward .
In this sense, Norman Roule, former CIA official and specialist in the Middle East, declared that Iranian leaders may still be analyzing the scenario in order to see how events develop before deciding on a specific response.
In his words, “it is Tehran is unlikely to launch a missile unless it believes it will achieve better results than his April attack.
Another option, according to Roule, would be for Iran and Hezbollah to resort to some kind of attack .
Faced with one of the offensive possibilities, Israeli Prime Minister stressed he would retaliate .
In his speech to the UN, Netanyahu insisted that “If they attack us, we will attack them” .
He also threatened “There is no place (in Iran) that the long arm of Israel cannot reach” .
“And this is true across the Middle East.” underlined the Israeli Prime Minister.
The United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, had a call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, last Monday September 30.
In this conversation, the first one said: urged that a diplomatic solution be sought .
But also warned the leaders of Tehran that they do not resort to the offensive.
“I reiterated the serious consequences for Iran if it decides to launch a direct military attack against Israel,” Austin said.
An Israeli official assured that his forces’ ground operations would include “localized and limited raids against Hezbollah targets along the border, with the aim of destroying the capabilities of the Radwan forces” .
These latter correspond to special operations unit of the militant group.
According to Israeli authorities, Hezbollah was preparing for an attack similar to that carried out by Hamas on October 7. of 2023.
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
