The assassination in Lebanon of a Hamas top strategist and the mysterious explosions in Iran this week are very different, but they have reignited a lingering concern: that the war between Israel & Hamas may still escalate into a regional conflict — and bring together several powerful factions.
U.S. officials confirm that Israel was behind the drone attack in Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday which killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh Arouri.
ISIS claimed responsibility on Thursday for the twin explosions that occurred at an event commemorating the death of Gen. Qassem Solimani, former head of Iran’s elite Quds force who was killed by a U.S. Airstrike in 2014. The U.S. still gathers its own intelligence but a senior administration official said to ABC News on Tuesday that the bombings are consistent with ISIS.
Biden administration officials made it clear that there was no evidence linking Israel to the deadly blasts, and denied U.S. involvement.
“And, again, we must ask ourselves: If Hezbollah does not want to engage in such an encounter, then [why] did it accumulate 150,000 rockets, long-range missiles, and sophisticated ammunition during the past decade and a quarter? Mekelberg stated that this creates an explosive situation.
“It’s not just the message of Hezbollah, but also the message coming from Tehran as the paymaster that there is no desire for a war in the region. There are, however, certain events or steps that could dictate the future days and weeks.
Reports states that a drone attack on a Baghdad militia headquarters backed by Iran was carried out on Thursday. The report was based on the testimony of a senior Iraqi official who had been briefed about the incident. The attack was confirmed to have killed three people.
Red Sea attacks
In a separate letter, co-signed with 12 allies of the U.S., the White House on Wednesday sent a warning to Houthis in Yemen. The White House said that the ongoing attacks against commercial ships transiting the Red Sea are “illegal and unacceptable” and “profoundly destabilizing.”
In a press release, the White House stated: “Our message is clear. We demand an immediate stop to these illegal attacks as well as the release of vessels and crews that have been unlawfully detained.” The letter was signed by many other countries, including the U.K. Canada, Australia Japan Italy Germany Denmark, Belgium the Netherlands New Zealand Singapore and Bahrain.
Patience is running out
The patience of the US and its NATO allies is wearing thin.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin launched a multi-national security initiative, “Operation Prosperity Guardian”, to counter the increasing Houthi aggression on the Red Sea.
A senior US official stated that the joint statement issued by the US, 12 other countries and the United Nations condemning the Houthi attacks against shipping was probably the last warning from the coalition. This could be a sign that military action will soon follow.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said to reporters that if the attacks continued, “action will be taken”. He indicated that British ships could be used to stop them if needed.
Miller stated that US Secretary of state Antony Blinken will make it clear at all his stops in the Middle East, on Thursday, that the Houthi attack is unacceptable.
The Houthis do not seem to have taken the warnings seriously. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper of the US Naval Forces Central Command said that the rebels carried out a new attack on international shipping Thursday, using a surface vessel which had traveled from Yemen to the international shipping lanes with “clear intent to harm” before exploding. Cooper said that the Houthi’s attacks were not abating.
The US also killed a pro Iran militia leader in Baghdad on Thursday. This was the second US strike against Iranian proxy forces in Iraq within a week. However, the Iraqi government called such strikes an infringement of their sovereignty.