U.S. braces for attack on troops, interests in Iraq
The U.S. military is bracing for a possible attack on American personnel and interests in Iraq, U.S. defense officials said, days before the first anniversary of an American drone strike that killed an Iranian general in Baghdad.
The officials spoke as two B-52 bombers carried out a round-trip, 30-hour mission from Minot AFB in North Dakota to the Middle East in an effort to show American military might in the region to deter Iran. The Air Force carried out similar missions twice before in the past 45 days.
“The United States continues to deploy combat-ready capabilities into the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to deter any potential adversary, and make clear that we are ready and able to respond to any aggression directed at Americans or our interests,” said Gen. Kenneth “Frank” Mckenzie, the chief of U.S. Central Command. “We do not seek conflict, but no one should underestimate our ability to defend our forces or to act decisively in response to any attack.”
The latest bomber deployment, disclosed after the aircraft left the Middle East, was carried out as supporters of the Iranian regime continue to mourn for Qasem Soleimani, the influential leader of Iran's paramilitary Quds Force.
Soleimani was killed Jan. 3 in a drone strike along with Abumahdi al-muhandis, the leader of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia that U.S. officials have said was responsible for numerous attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq.
Iran responded five days later by launching a missile attack that injured more than 100 U.S. troops and leveled several facilities.
Whennoamericanswere killed in that attack, senior U.S. and Iranian officials both seemed to temporarily take pause. But tensions have escalated again in recent weeks as Washington prepares for a presidential transition.
On Nov. 17, rockets were launched at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Another armed group in Iraq, Ashab al-kahf, said it was responsible.
On Nov. 27, a senior official in Iran's nuclear program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated near Tehran. U.S. officials denied knowledge of the attack, and Iran blamed it on Israel. But given the close relationship between Israel and the United States, U.S. officials have assumediran also might hold the United States responsible.