US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Tuesday that if Iran or its proxy forces attack US personnel, Washington will respond "quickly and decisively". In recent days, Tehran has adopted a laissez faire attitude towards its long-standing armed regional militia organizations, which has increased the risk of a larger conflict breaking out in the Middle East.
In the past six months or so, these Iranian backed militia groups have not fired drones or rockets at US forces stationed in Iraq and Syria, which seems to be part of the undeclared ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington.
This calm was suddenly disrupted. US officials say that recently, Iranian backed militia groups launched 10 drone and rocket attacks on US military bases in Iraq, as well as three attacks on a US military base in southeastern Syria.
These attacks occurred between October 17th and October 24th. US military officials say that in a militia attack on the US Air Force Base in Assad, Iraq last week, the US military shot down a militia drone that landed on a US drone and destroyed it.
US officials say that in Yemen, Iranian backed Hussein militants launched five cruise missiles provided by Iran into Israel and dispatched about 30 drones in an attack on a larger scale than initially described by the US Pentagon.
"The United States does not seek conflict with Iran; we do not want this war to expand," Antony Blinken said at a United Nations meeting on Tuesday, which was tense. However, if Iran or its agents attack American personnel anywhere, there is no doubt that we will quickly and decisively defend our people and our security