Iran seeks to inflame Syria and Iraq and to use the war in Gaza to increase attacks on the US. Iran wants the US to leave Syria and Iraq so Iran can dominate Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen.
SETH J. FRANTZMAN
DECEMBER 14, 2023 11:18 Updated: DECEMBER 14, 2023 11:21
Iranian-backed proxies continued to attack US forces in Iraq and Syria this week, including overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, according to reports.
Iran’s Tasnim News boasted of one such attack on Thursday. It said that there had been “explosions” at the US outpost near Conico in eastern Syria. This area is near the Euphrates River and east of the city of Deir Ezzor. Iran has many militias operating on the river’s western side near Deir Ezzor. The US operates on the eastern side with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which fight ISIS.
Iranian media noted that there were reports of a “missile attack on this base.” Iranian regime media also quoted the pro-Iran site Al-Mayadeen regarding the attack. “On the other hand, some news sources reported a drone attack on the American forces in Al-Shadadi base in Syria.”
The fact that so many media that are pro-Iran regime have reported on these attacks is a clear message. It shows how Iran wants to increase these operations.
Iran has been frustrated in attempts to back Hamas in Gaza and achieve a ceasefire there to help Hamas stave off the continued Israeli operations.
Iran’s wider objectives in the region
In fact, it’s clear now that Iran and its proxies are concerned. A new report at Al-Mayadeen says that IDF operations will continue into January. Iran needs to keep Hamas intact to some extent in Gaza while achieving influence for Hamas in the West Bank.
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Towards that end, Iran seeks to inflame Syria and Iraq and to use the war in Gaza to increase attacks on the US. Iran wants the US to leave Syria and Iraq so Iran can dominate Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen and then threaten Israel directly.
There have been recent attacks on Al-Asad base in Iraq, where US forces are. In addition, Kurdistan 24 reported that the SDF located rocket launchers after an attack near Shaddadi.
Omar Abu Layla, a Syrian expert, also wrote on X about the attacks on Conico overnight. There have been almost 80 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since the Hamas October 7 attack on Israel.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-777973.