OAN’s Abril Elfi
5:25 PM – Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Since mid-October, United States coalition forces in the Middle East have been attacked 23 times.
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A senior defense official spoke to reporters on Monday, stating that there have been at least 14 attacks in Iraq and at least nine attacks in Syria since October 17th.
“Many of these attacks were successfully disrupted by our military,” the official added. “Most failed to reach their targets thanks to our robust defenses.”
He also added that a total of 21 U.S. troops have been injured thus far.
The senior U.S. defense source highlighted the urgency of the issue, noting that multiple sections of Iran’s threat network have been expanding their attacks.
This buildup raises the possibility of miscalculations, which could push the region into a full-fledged confrontation, according to the defense source.
While U.S. outposts in Iraq and Syria have been targeted on a regular basis by Iran-backed militias, the number of strikes has increased dramatically in October, as the U.S. has vowed support to Israel in reaction to the October 7th Hamas attack.
In response to the strikes, the United States targeted two locations in eastern Syria utilized by Iran and its proxies last week, destroying a weapons storage facility and an ammunition storage center operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and allied militias.
As fears of a larger regional confrontation grow, the Biden administration has attempted to deliver a “strong” message of deterrence to Iran, according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby who spoke to reporters on Monday.
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