The U.S. base at Tower 22 in Jordan was attacked by drones by armed Iraqi militias last week, killing 43 U.S. troops. This incident has triggered tensions in the Middle East, especially the confrontation between the United States and Iran, which has reached the brink of eruption. According to NBC, Biden is preparing a retaliatory strike against Iranian military targets in several countries, which could last for weeks.
On February 1, CBS News reported that the United States** had agreed to a strike plan targeting Iranian military installations in Iraq and Syria in response to attacks on U.S. bases in northeastern Jordan. The report also said that the exact timing of the strike depends on weather conditions.
The United States will not sit idly by and ignore the 43 US military leaders, and it is only a matter of time before military action is inevitable. On February 1, Alrabiya** reported that the situation in the Middle East is becoming increasingly critical, and that Iranian-backed militias have been under pressure and panic in Iran as they continue to attack military bases in Iraq and Syria, especially the "Tower 22" base.
U.S. intelligence revealed that a drone strike by armed Iraqi militias led to the deaths of three U.S. soldiers, which took Iran by surprise and sparked concern among the country's political leadership.
Iran's concerns are justified, because Iran has always suffered because of the historical confrontation between the United States and Iran. On July 24, 1987, the U.S. Navy escort tanker Bridgerton was damaged when it triggered a mine by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in the waters of the Gulf. Two months later, the U.S. Navy attacked the Iranian Navy's mine-laying mission in the Gulf, sinking the USS Iran Ag, killing three Iranian crew members and taking 26 prisoners.
On April 14, 1988, a mine from Iran's Aag Company struck the American frigate USS Samuel Roberts, severely damaging it and seriously injuring 10 American soldiers. Four days later, in the name of retaliation, the US Navy attacked two Iranian oil platforms in the Gulf.
Subsequently, the American fleet, with the support of the aircraft carrier Enterprise, entered into a fierce battle with the Iranian Navy and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, sinking the frigate Goshen and the frigate "Sahand" of the Iranian Navy, with the participation of two A-6 attack aircraft. The fighting lasted all day, and at least 56 soldiers were killed on the Iranian side.
Fearing a U.S. strike, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has reduced the number of senior officers in Syria, reports the report. On February 1, Russia's TASS news agency reported that it was unclear how many Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officers had left Syria, but several senior officers and dozens of mid-level officers had been evacuated.
On the same day, reports from Alrabiya** also confirmed the withdrawal of senior officers from Syria by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The report also explained that part of the reason for the move was Iran's desire to avoid direct involvement in a possible conflict in the Middle East. A Syrian** with close ties to Iran also revealed that some Iranian troops or advisers who remain in Syria have left offices and command centers to minimize their activities.
Iran has also suffered heavy losses in Syria before. On December 25, Israel, an ally of the United States, launched an airstrike near Damascus, Syria, killing General Radi Mousavi, a senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Corps. On January 20, Israel carried out another airstrike on a building in Damascus' Mezzeh district, killing 13 people, including five advisers to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and some Syrian Revolutionary Guard Force intelligence**. On Monday, Israel carried out another bombardment of the Sayyida Zeinab district near Damascus, killing eight people, including some pro-Iranian fighters.
Iranian officials have not yet responded to the "withdrawal of troops from Syria". If this is true, then Iran has made a wise choice, after all, returning to its own soil can have better security, avoid greater losses, and avoid direct war with the United States.