Iran Warns US Involvement in Israel War Will Lead to Attacks on American Troops

 

American and Israeli officials say Iran will respond to the attack on its Damascus consulate with a strike on Israel in the coming days

by Kyle Anzalone April 12, 2024 at 1:37 pm ET 

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Iran has warned that American involvement in a conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran would lead to increased attacks on US troops in the Middle East, according to three unnamed sources cited by Axios. Several American and Israeli officials have stated they expect Iran to attack Israel in the coming days in response to a strike that killed seven Iranians at Tehran’s consulate in Damascus.

According to the officials that spoke with Axios, Tehran asked several Arab nations to relay the warning to Washington, saying it would target American troops in the region if the US intervened in future hostilities with Israel. “The Iranian message was we will attack the forces that attack us, so don’t f–k with us and we won’t f–k with you,” one US official said.

The heightened tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv stem from a recent Israeli attack on an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus that killed seven, including a high-ranking military official. Iran condemned the attack and vowed to retaliate.

On Thursday, Iranian sources told Reuters that Tehran informed Washington that it planned to respond in a way that would avoid a major regional escalation. The sources also said Iran wouldn’t be hasty, signaling the response might not come as soon as the US believes.

However, officials in Washington and Tel Aviv have speculated that Iran will strike Israel with cruise and ballistic missiles, leading to a major confrontation between the two Middle Eastern powers.

US Central Command head Gen. Michael Kurilla traveled to Israel on Thursday to coordinate military plans for a potential Iranian attack. Additionally, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, and the two agreed that Washington would likely take part in Israel’s response to an Iranian strike.

Gallant told Austin that “a direct Iranian attack will require an appropriate Israeli response against Iran,” while the US military chief said Israel “could count on full US support to defend Israel against Iranian attacks.”

President Joe Biden also stated that he would drag Americans into a war with Iran for the sake of Israel. He described US-Israeli ties as “ironclad,” adding that his administration would “do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”

Should Iran attack Israel and the US become involved in the response, Tehran will have ample targets to strike. Washington has tens of thousands of troops stationed across the Middle East, with many adjacent to Iran on the opposite side of the Persian Gulf. Additionally, there are about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria that have repeatedly come under fire from Iranian-allied militias in recent months.

Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/12/iran-warns-us-involvement-in-israel-war-will-lead-to-attacks-on-american-troops/