American military preparedness in the Middle East
With mounting fears of the expansion of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that erupted on October 7, amid the alert of a number of “Iranian-backed” militias in the region, America announced sending additional air defense systems to the Middle East.
The US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) said that it will send a THAAD air defense system and additional battalions of Patriot missile defense systems to the Middle East, in response to the recent attacks on its forces in the region.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin explained in a statement on Sunday that “after extensive discussions with US President Joe Biden regarding the recent escalation by Iran and the forces acting on its behalf throughout the Middle East region, he directed a series of additional steps to strengthen the position of the Department of Defense in the region.” , according to him.
As for those additional steps, according to Austin, they included “moving the Dwight Eisenhower aircraft carrier battle group to the area responsible for Central Command, in order to strengthen deterrence efforts, increase the protection of American forces in the region, and help defend Israel.”
It also included the liberation of the battle group of the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, located in the eastern Mediterranean region. In addition to deploying THAAD and Patriot missile batteries in various parts of the region to enhance the protection of American forces.
It also included placing an unspecified number of forces on readiness for deployment within the framework of contingency plans.
This American alert came after multiple attempts over the past days to strike American bases and forces stationed in Iraq. Armed factions targeted the Ain al-Assad base in Anbar, western Iraq, about 4 times during the last period.
An Iraqi armed group (the Iraqi Resistance Movement) also claimed during the past hours to target Erbil Airport. Before that, Victoria Base near Baghdad Airport also witnessed an attempt to target American forces.
In turn, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah threatened to enter into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if field data required it, while the intensity of skirmishes between it and the Israeli forces escalated during the past hours, leading to the killing of 6 of its members on Saturday and Sunday night.
The bombing was renewed on Sunday between the two sides, while the Israeli army confirmed that Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into war.
As for Syria, Israel has recently monitored some movements of factions allied with Tehran, and last week it bombed Damascus and Aleppo airports.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder also announced last Thursday that American forces in Syria and Iraq had been subjected to several drone attacks.
From Yemen, the leader of the Houthis in Yemen threatened on October 10 to launch drones and missiles if American forces directly intervened in the conflict in Gaza.