The U.S. Embassy was hit by seven shells, and the actions of China and Russia made the United States dare not move
Since the outbreak of a new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, there have been concerns about whether the conflict will spread. In fact, the conflict has long since spread. In recent times, Allah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen have continuously attacked targets in Israel, and even threatened that all ships heading to Israel could be targeted, in an attempt to completely cut off Israel's access to the Red Sea. At the same time, Israel's tough actions have led to an increasing number of attacks on the United States in the Middle East. According to the US Department of Defense, there have been at least 84 attacks on US military bases and personnel in the Middle East since mid-October. On the 8th, the United States Embassy in Iraq was attacked, and seven mortars fell on the embassy compound.
On the same day, a number of US military bases in Iraq and Syria were also attacked at least five times.
Many people may not know that the U.S. Embassy in Iraq covers an area of about 440,000 square meters, the size of 80 football fields. In fact, it is just a huge military base with the name of an embassy, which serves as the center of the US concession and intelligence system in the Middle East. Currently, the United States has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 troops in Syria. After the outbreak of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the United States quickly dispatched two aircraft carrier strike groups, fighter planes, and task forces, claiming that they were to support Israel, but in essence they were also to demonstrate their "defense capability" in the Middle East and warn some anti-US forces in the Middle East not to act rashly. However, it is clear that the deterrence of the United States has decreased significantly, and even aircraft carriers are not able to act as a deterrent. In the face of continued attacks by armed groups, the United States has a very limited ability to fight back, and can only swallow its anger and misinterpret the attacks, claiming that these attacks are not directed against the United States, but against Israel.
In the past, even without evidence, the United States could hype up the mysterious "sonic attack" in Cuba and invade Iraq with "washing powder reagents", but now it is helpless in the face of a real attack. It's not that America has changed, it's that times have changed.
In recent years, the United States has been trying to avoid getting bogged down in the Middle East, because once again in it, the United States will have to face competition with great powers, which is no small threat to the United States.
Especially in the context of the actions of China and Russia, the United States must be more cautious. At present, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is already considered a military defeat for NATO. At the same time, Russia's economy has soared, marking a financial defeat for the United States and the West. In the process, Russia has actively strengthened its influence in places such as the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. Not long ago, Putin made a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two countries that have long been close allies of the United States in the Middle East, and provided solid support to both countries by pushing OPEC+ to cut production. In addition, Raisi also went to Moscow for a secret meeting. If Russia and Iran join forces, how will the United States respond?Previously, China successfully mediated the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Iran, laying the foundation for the current situation in the Middle East, and the United States lost its "divide and rule" strategy. In the current new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it is foreseeable that the United States will find it difficult to hold out for a long time, because their "backyard" has even begun to "catch fire," and problems have arisen one after another.