The Pentagon said Monday that the United States had not yet seen evidence of a direct order from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to attack American troops in the region, but held Iran responsible for such militant attacks “because they have the support of Iran”.The statement by Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder comes amid increasing attacks in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed groups.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, US troops have been subject to repeated missile and drone attacks.
“We have seen no direct orders from Iran (and its supreme leader) to carry out such attacks,” Ryder told reporters.
However, Ryder noted that the United States holds Iran responsible for such militant attacks and is “without hesitation” ready to defend its forces.
Senior officials in President Joe Biden’s administration, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, warned Sunday of the risk of a significant escalation in attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East and that Iran is seeking to expand the war between Israel and Hamas. Reuters.
National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said Monday that in some cases Iran has “actively facilitated” missile and drone attacks by Iranian-backed proxy groups against U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria, and President Biden has directed the Department of Defense to increase readiness. and react accordingly.
According to Kirby, the United States believes that these groups have the support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) and the Iranian government, which also continues to support Hamas and Hezbollah.
“We know that Iran is closely monitoring these developments and, in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and inciting others who want to exploit this conflict for their own benefit or that of Iran,” he said.
“We are deeply concerned about the possibility of a significant escalation of these attacks in the coming days,” Kirby said. “We know that Iran’s goal is to continue denying (its involvement), but we will not allow it to do so. “We will also not ignore any threat to our interests in the region.”
Last weekend, the Pentagon chief ordered new air defense systems to be sent to the Middle East to protect troops. He said the Pentagon would send the THAAD missile defense system and additional battalions of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to the region.
The United States has also sent warships and fighter jets to the region to try to prevent Iran and the groups it backs from becoming involved in the conflict. In particular, two aircraft carriers and some 2,000 marines were sent to the region.
“No one wants to see a regional conflict expand, but we will not hesitate to protect our forces,” Ryder said.
Last week, US troops in Iraq came under drone attacks, and a US warship shot down more than a dozen drones and four cruise missiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthis (Houthis) off the coast of Yemen.
