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U.S. Military Confronts a New Reality across the Middle East

(Washington Post) Missy Ryan - In the weeks since an American drone strike killed Iranian Maj.-Gen. Qasem Soleimani, U.S. military leaders have been sprinting to confront a dangerous new reality in the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia, troops are setting up the first U.S. presence in more than a decade; in Syria, small teams of Americans operate near Iranian-linked forces; in Afghanistan, officials have detected an increase in Iranian aid to the Taliban. The top U.S. commander for the region, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., has cautioned American troops that the missile strike Iran launched days after Soleimani's death was unlikely to be Iran's final salvo. Officials say Iran and its proxies have used rockets and mortars in a resumption of smaller-scale attacks on U.S. and allied targets since Soleimani's death. A possible acceleration of Iran's long effort to end the U.S. presence in the Middle East is one reason military leaders are racing to put new protections in place for American troops. Iran has already officially designated U.S. Central Command (Centcom) as a terrorist organization.
2020-03-09 00:00:00
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