Militant attacks on the United States remain silent for 13 days… “Through Iran’s Warning”
Iran sends diplomats and military leaders throughout the region to contact militias
The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 18th (local time) that Iran has urged pro-Iranian armed groups, such as Hezbollah, to stop attacking the United States out of concern about a direct conflict with the United States and Israel.
According to reports, when the US military carried out airstrikes this month targeting pro-Iran militants in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, Iran publicly stated that it was ready to face any threat. But Lebanese and Iraqi officials say senior Iranian officials have privately warned them not to attack the United States.
U.S. officials said Iran’s warning appears to have had some effect.
Pro-Iranian militants in Iraq and Syria had not attacked the United States for over 13 days as of the 17th. WP reported that this is an unusual phenomenon that has not been seen since the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas broke out on October 9 last year. Even when the United States carried out an airstrike on Baghdad on the 7th in retaliation for the deaths of three of its soldiers stationed in Jordan and killed Kataib Hezbollah’s senior commander, the militants did not respond.
Days after Kataib Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the death of a Jordanian American soldier, an Iranian military commander landed in Baghdad to meet with the group’s leaders. The WP reported that the commander pressured Kataib Hezbollah to issue a statement saying it would stop attacking U.S. troops.
The Joe Biden administration also took a cautious approach toward Iran.
The United States carried out airstrikes against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria following the death of a U.S. soldier in Jordan, but did not hit Iran directly.
Iran is also said to have dispatched military leaders and diplomats to various parts of the Middle East to meet with local officials and militia members for the purpose of emphasizing the new guidelines.
An Iranian official with close ties to pro-Iranian militants said, “Iran is doing its best to prevent the escalation of war and escalation of tensions from reaching an irreversible point.”
U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Patrick Ryder said in a briefing on the 15th, “If U.S. troops are threatened or attacked, they have the right to exercise self-defense.”
A Ryder spokesman declined to comment immediately when asked whether the attacks by pro-Iranian militants had ended.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.