(RepublicanReport.org) – Fears of violence have escalated throughout the Middle East ever since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Tensions have boiled over across the region, with numerous countries becoming increasingly swept into the heated mess. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently stated that the Middle East hasn’t been this dangerous “since at least 1973,” but it might even be worse than it was during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 and 1949.
Blinken spoke in response to the drone strike that killed three American servicemen the previous weekend. He and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attended a January 29 news conference, where they discussed US involvement amid the growing threat. The secretary of state implied that the United States’ response might come in multiple stages and levels, with their goals being to contain current conflicts and find a sustainable means of keeping the peace.
US military leaders believe the Iranian proxy group Kata’ib Hezbollah made the recent deadly attacks possible. The Iran-based groups have hit numerous US military bases across Syria and Iraq, leading to multiple strikes in both countries from both sides. Three Americans were killed after Islamic extremists had already hit similar bases with over 150 strikes in response to its involvement in the Israel-Hamas war. The Pentagon retaliated on January 30, striking three targets in Iraq where officials believe Kata’ib Hezbollah extremists were hiding.
Israel’s heavy-handed response to the October 7 Hamas attack has contributed to the threat of worsening violence across the Middle East. Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, Pakistan, and Yemen have all seen some kind of involvement in response to the escalations from the Jewish state. Additionally, Houthi rebels have attacked multiple trade ships attempting to cross the Red Sea, a path of water standing between north-eastern Africa and multiple Middle Eastern countries that is vital to global trade. With Israel refusing to back down, the threat could persist for quite some time.
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