Amid the regional and international meltdown, the million-dollar question seems to be: Does the US fear a direct military confrontation with Iran, especially at the current stage?
Before answering this question, we must address the motives behind the question.
The most important is the strong discrepancy in statements by United States officials. For example, the Pentagon claimed that the US had not found any direct order from Iran to its agents to attack US forces in the Middle East.
Pentagon spokesman Brig.-Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters, “We don’t necessarily see that Iran has explicitly ordered them to take these kinds of attacks.”
When asked to elaborate, Patrick Ryder said, “We haven’t seen a direct order, for example, from the Supreme Leader saying: ‘Go out and do this.’”
In contrast, the Pentagon, through US Air Force spokesman, Gen. Pat Rader, said that US forces in Iraq were attacked 10 times between October 17 and 24, while US forces in Syria were attacked three times during the same period. As a result, 20 American soldiers were hit by drone strikes on American bases in Iraq and Syria.
That means that the Pentagon is waiting for evidence showing clear and direct orders from Khamenei for attacks on Americans. But it also admits that many recent attacks have targeted Americans – not to mention previous attacks.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the existence of threats against US forces in the Middle East. He said they were coming from Iran’s supporters and allies in the region and that he expects them to escalate.
White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said the US believes Iran-linked groups were behind the increasing attacks on American targets in the Middle East. He said missile and drone attacks on US facilities in Iraq and Syria have become more frequent recently. Kirby confirmed that “Iranian-backed groups” are behind the attacks. For its part, the Pentagon says all the attacks on American forces bear Iran’s fingerprints. But, it says, there is no evidence at this time.
