According to the US Department of Defense, more than 40 US servicemen were injured in the attack on US troops in Jordan, and this number is likely to continue to increase. Pentagon Deputy Information Secretary Sabrina Singh said that we do expect that number to continue to fluctuate with the arrival of our service personnel (TBI).
The U.S. command previously said in a statement on Sunday that 34 servicemen were wounded.
The Middle East is as dangerous now as it has been decades.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blanken, while emphasizing U.S. efforts to prevent escalation, said the environment in the Middle East is as dangerous as the environment in the region"At least since 1973, and even before that"。
Speaking at a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Blinken said the U.S. response to Iranian-backed militias that allegedly killed three U.S. reservists in Jordan"It can be multi-layered, phased, and will continue over time. "
"We want to prevent this conflict from spreading, so we intend to do two things, stand up for our people when they are under attack, and at the same time work every day to prevent the conflict from expanding and spreading," Blanken said. ”
In the Gaza war, the senior U.S. diplomat also said that he discussed ongoing efforts to release Israeli hostages and extend the moratorium on fighting in the enclave when he met with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister Mohammed bin Abdelrahman Al-Thani on Monday.
A war with Iran is not sought, but an attack is not ruled out.
The White House declared on Monday that the United States does not seek war, but will not rule out the possibility of Joe Biden considering an attack inside Iran.
Commission spokesman Kirby said:"We are not seeking war with Iran, nor are we seeking a military conflict with the Iranian regime. We don't want to escalate in this regard. This weekend's attack is escalating, don't make a mistake, it needs a response, don't make a mistake. I wouldn't make more than ** decisions. "
CNN reported on Monday that three Americans were killed at Jordan's Tower 22, seriously escalating an already precarious situation in the Middle East. The drone was launched by Iranian-backed militants and appeared to have come from Syria, said. It is still being determined which militia group is responsible.
While the U.S. believes Iran is ultimately responsible for the attack given Tehran's financial and military support for its bloc, there is yet no indication that Iran explicitly directed the deadly attack on Sunday or intended to use it as a deliberate escalation against the U.S., multiple *** told CNN. Iran** has also denied involvement.
Biden, for his part, assured in a speech from South Carolina over the weekend that the United States would respond.
The US retaliation will be powerful.
Biden, who is known to want to limit the conflict and avoid dragging the United States into another Middle East war, has instructed his team to develop a military plan for the weekend's attacks.
But the U.S. told CNN that a U.S. retaliatory strike could be more powerful than before, though the Pentagon and the White House are carefully planning it.
Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling said that the death of the American ** man must have crossed the red line of **, and ** and analysts are expecting a more forceful response, not necessarily limited to one country or one day. But they say the U.S. is unlikely to strike inside Iran.
Biden** may decide to strike again at military formations in Iraq, Syria or both countries, and may also target the leaders of regional militias. In at least one case in early January, the U.S. targeted a senior member of the Iranian Halakat Nujaba who attacked the U.S. team. We point out that cyberattacks are another option.
Iran has invested in its region** for years, from Allah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen to militant groups in Iraq and Syria. Tehran to these unofficially called"Axis of resistance"of **people provide money, training and supplies to expand their influence in the Middle East and force the United States to leave the region.
Over the past three months, Iran has reaped enormous benefits from years of investment in the Axis of Resistance"Altman said that after the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas war, Iran witnessed anti-American and anti-Israeli activities sweeping through the Middle East. Iran is getting closer to Russia and China, and Iraq** has recently begun to call on the United States to end its military presence in Iran more and more loudly. These are the measures of Iran's victory.
A former senior military ** who closely follows developments in the region said:"Every message you see talks about fears of escalation. "
Blame Iran.
As the domestic and foreign political dynamics surrounding his Middle East policy become increasingly complex, Joe Biden** is more unequivocal than ever in condemning Iran for the deaths of three U.S. soldiers and weighing the consequences. They say Biden is unlikely to make more public statements until a decision is made to retaliate.
However, a retaliatory response could further aggravate the risk of the situation in the Middle East. Biden and his aides are increasingly frustrated with Israel's war in Gaza, while concerns are rising about Ukraine's loss of support in its attempts to stop Russia.
The Pentagon's options include attacks on Iranian personnel in Syria or Iraq or Iranian naval assets in the Persian Gulf. Iran** said that a blow to Iran itself would be a red line. Once approved, retaliation could begin in the next few days, with a slash at a range of targets, they said.
Jeremy Bash, former chief of staff of the CIA and Pentagon, said that Biden could not avoid international challenges even in an election year. Although there is no one who can not experience some kind of external crisis. "It is unreasonable not to respond, but it risks triggering a real regional war. They know that Iran cannot afford a direct conflict with the United States, but it can completely unleash Allah's attacks on Israel or the United States, and it could also escalate. "
Biden's support for Israel has severely affected the election campaign of a large number of Arab-Americans in Michigan. One of the most valuable resources is his time, but Biden's aides noted that the White House is designed to handle multiple challenges simultaneously, both domestic and foreign. At the same time, Republicans in Congress continue to be an obstacle to supporting Ukraine's efforts to defend itself against Russia's invasion.
A plan was drawn up to attack Iran.
It is believed that the Pentagon is considering a counterattack by Iranian-backed forces in the region, possibly targeting facilities used by Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a branch of the Iranian military.
From military hawks in Congress to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, there have been calls for a retaliatory strike against Iran. Iran has denied any responsibility for the drone, citing attempts by the United States to link it to the conflict"Unfounded accusations were repeated"。
Iran's spokesman Nasser Kanaani said"Organizations in the region do not accept orders from Iran. War is not the solution. An immediate ceasefire in Gaza could lead to a return to peace. "
The Iranian-backed Iraqi Islamic Resistance Group (IRI), a loose umbrella group of Iranian-backed Islamist groups, claimed responsibility for the attack, though Kirby said U.S. intelligence** had not confirmed which group was responsible.
Iran's spokesman Kanaani said on Monday that Iran was not involved in the U.S. drone attack on a Jordanian base.
Biden may order a covert attack on Iran.
There could be two options, the sources said: the U.S. could launch a secret strike on Iran, or a scenario would arise where Biden would directly target Iran, such as when U.S. Donald Trump ordered the killing of Iran's top general. Suleimani in Baghdad in 2020.
Regardless of the outcome, the potential attack presents Biden with a decision that will be one of the most important of his tenure", this"It is possible to put the United States in direct confrontation with the leaders of Tehran,"Bloomberg reports.
However, Tehran officially stated that it had no connection with the attack and had nothing to do with it, according to Iran**, citing Tehran's representative to the UN.
Since then, Jordan has denied that U.S. troops are stationed in their country, insisting that the drone strike took place at the Al-Tanf base on Syrian territory.
The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, where the Red Sea crisis has added fuel to the fire but shows no signs of abating. The United States has so far carried out 10 rounds of airstrikes on the Houthis in response to attacks by Yemeni militant groups on Israeli, American or British ships in the Red Sea because of Tel Aviv's war on Gaza.
What will be the consequences of a direct US attack on Iran?
After baseless accusations that Tehran orchestrated the recent lethal drone bombing of U.S. personnel, U.S. **Joe Biden and his team are allegedly considering a secret strike on Iran, or an assassination of Iran**.
Professor Hussein Ascari, a political analyst and professor emeritus of business and international affairs at George Washington University, said"If the attack comes from Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, then the U.S. attack on that militia will affect relations with Iraq, which has opposed other U.S. responses to these militias and is negotiating for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. This year is the first year of the United States, and there is tremendous pressure on Biden to be tough on Iran. "
Biden finds himself in a difficult position: whatever he does, he risks being fiercely criticized for being too weak or for escalating the conflict. The professor stressed:"An attack on Iran would undoubtedly expand the scope of the war, and the end result would become more ambiguous, with an attack on Iraq further damaging U.S.-Iran relations. "
Still, he argues, Biden will strike and that the attack will add fuel to the fire as Tehran continues to seek revenge for the assassination of Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
When asked what troops might be involved in any"Secret strikes"At the time, experts believe that there are only cruise missiles, and it is impossible to use aircraft or special forces. He said that no regional player, except for possible Israel, would join the US operation. Ascari warned"But if the U.S. allows Israel to join, then it will become a broader war with religious overtones. "
Imad Salami, associate professor of political science and international affairs at the American University of Lebanon, said that while neither the United States nor Iran is interested in a wider regional war, a tug-of-war is underway between the two countries to influence the wider Middle East region, particularly the Arab Gulf states.
Ascari agrees. "I believe that the United States will carry out limited retaliatory attacks on IRGC targets in Iran or Iraq, without a large-scale war"Salama said.
It is too early for the United States to lock on strategic positions such as nuclear facilities in this conflict. I do not think that the allies will join the US confrontation against Iran, because there is no reason to join. Only if Iran decides to close the Strait of Hormuz will other countries join the U.S. war effort. "
List of high-quality authors The Iranian army is strong enough to deal with any threat.
As Washington considers demonstrating its military power to Tehran, Iranian General Kimarsh Haidari reportedly stressed that the Iranian army is currently in the highest state of combat readiness as well as defense capability.
Iran's armed forces are the largest in the Middle East (the seventh largest in the world), with 587,000 active military personnel, and according to public sources, the total number of Iranian military personnel is about 787,000, including 200,000 reserves.
The Iranian armed forces are made up of the army also known as the Atish, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Law Enforcement Forces (Faraja). The current commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The goal of the Iranian army is to protect the territorial integrity of the country from external and internal threats, including ground forces, air force, navy, etc. The Iranian army is divided into four military districts, each of which includes 4 motorized divisions, 6 infantry divisions, 6 artillery divisions, 2 special forces, 1 airborne division, as well as a number of logistics brigades.
The Iranian army has indigenously made military equipment, as well as equipment made in Russia, the United States and Great Britain. Ground equipment includes:
1634 tanks (Zufikar, T-72, M60A1, Chieftain), 2345 armored vehicles (M113A1 M577, SARIR), 870 multiple launch rocket systems (FAJR-5, BM-21"Grad"), 670 infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2), 1800 howitzers (GHN-45, M101A1), 1670 artillery installations (from HM-12 to HM-16).
The Iranian Air Force has about 300 European fighter jets, including Russian, American and Chinese-made fighters, including the MiG-29, F-14 and J-7.
Iran's naval equipment includes Russian Kilo-class submarines, domestically produced and British-made frigates and destroyers, and Chinese- and French-made missile boats.
It is worth noting that almost all Iranian drones, such as the Karar, Mohammed VI and Shah-149, are domestically made. It has reportedly been tested in various armed conflicts before. It is estimated that Iran's aerospace forces have 200 drones.
Iran's ballistic missile arsenal is considered the largest in the Middle East. In 2023, it is alleged to have more than 3,000 ballistic missiles of various modifications. These missiles include missiles capable of hitting targets up to 2000 kilometers away, which means that they can reach Israel and southeastern Europe.
According to the Global Firepower Index, Iran's military power ranks 13th out of 136 countries in the world. The listing is based on more than 50 factors, including conventional (non-nuclear) forces, forces, geography and financial war-making potential.
A few years ago, CNN, citing military experts, noted that although Iran's arsenal may differ significantly from the United States in terms of technology and firepower, Tehran makes up for it in strategic tactics and numbers.