Vantage | Will US be forced to join the war in West Asia?

In West Asia, tension continues to escalate, so much so that now the US may be drawn directly into the war. So far, it has been operating on the sidelines. But now, it has suffered a direct attack, which happened on Saturday night at a US military base called Tower 22 in Jordan. At least three American soldiers were killed and 34 were injured. It was a drone attack, launched by a group that calls itself the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq.” The group, composed of militias that operate in Iraq and Syria, has taken credit for the strike. It is backed by Iran. This group has been on the warpath for months. Since the October 7 attack by Hamas, it has attacked the US multiple times, reports say over 160 times, and finally, this weekend, they broke through the American defences. It is a massive escalation. Three US troops were killed by direct, hostile action. It is the first since the Israel-Hamas war began. This may force the US into action. “I want to point out that we had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases. I am asking for a moment of silence for all three of our fallen soldiers, and we shall respond. God bless you all,” said US President Joe Biden.

Further, the last line is clearly a threat: “We will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing.” This has sent alarm bells ringing in West Asia, especially in Iran. The country Washington blames for the deaths. And that is how Iran responded: “Resistance groups in the region do not take orders from the Islamic Republic of Iran in their decisions and actions,” said Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani. “Repeating baseless accusations against Iran is the projection and conspiracy of those who see their interests in dragging America’s feet into a new battle in the region and inciting it in the expansion and escalation of the crisis to cover up their problems,” he added. So, Tehran is distancing itself from the attacks. It says it did not give orders to the militias and that they acted on their own. But the US isn’t buying it. Biden said the attack was carried out by “radical Iranian-backed militant groups.” He made sure to mention Iran. So did Defence Secretary Llyod Austin in a separate statement. The US is not shy about naming Iran. The US politicians are even less restrained. Republican Party senator Lindsay Graham has called for striking “targets of significance inside Iran.” Republican senator Mitch McConnell wants Biden to “exercise American strength to compel Iran to change its behaviour." Even Democrats aren’t holding back; Congressman Hakeem Jeffries said, “Every single malignant actor responsible must be held accountable.” Biden may not have a choice. Three soldiers have died, and it is an election year, so Biden can’t afford to look soft. That means there is a chance that the US will escalate. So far, it has limited itself to airstrikes in Iraq and Syria and missile attacks on the Yemen-based Houthi group. Washington was working on the principle of deterrence, which has clearly failed. The US could not deter the Iraq-based militias from attacking, so now the boots on the ground may come into play. The US has about 900 troops in Syria, 2,500 in Iraq, and 4,000 in Jordan, which have been placed there to combat a different threat, which is to fight the Islamic State. The US has been leading a coalition to take down the terrorist group ISIS. But these troops could be redirected, and they may be used against the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” instead, or perhaps even against their backers, Iran. That risks another all-out war in West Asia. Something the US and Iran have both been trying to avoid. Iran’s message proves this, as do America’s actions so far, but this attack may have changed the scenario, which may have wide consequences. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .