The US Army is now considering the delivery of missile defense systems and other capabilities to the Middle East in an effort to combat potential missile strikes by Iranian forces following the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s (IRGC) January 8 attack on US bases in Iraq.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy revealed Wednesday that Iran’s “Operation Martyr Soleimani,” which consisted of strikes on Ayn al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq and another airbase to the north in Erbil, has triggered the US to go on the defensive.
Though he did not go into detail about what the “capabilities” up for consideration included, he did tell attendees “it could be a variety of enablers like missile defense, so we are looking at that.”
McCarthy’s announcement comes on the heels of the UK, France and Germany triggering a dispute clause of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) against Iran on Tuesday in response to the country’s alleged violation of nuclear provisions laid out in agreement.
“Today, the American soldier is in danger; tomorrow the European soldier could be in danger,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said during a televised Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, reported the Associated Press. He did not further elaborate on the matter, but many Western outlets have perceived his statements as a threat to European troops in the Middle East.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov directly slammed the three nations’ joint statement on Wednesday, calling it a “a destructive step that dramatically reduces chances to preserve the JCPOA.”
“It won’t work my friends. You only whet his appetite. Remember your high school bully?” he said on social media. “If you want to sell your integrity, go ahead. But DO NOT assume high moral/legal ground.”
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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