US will respond to this week’s Iran-backed attack on troops in Iraq: General

The top US military general vowed Friday to respond to an attack that targeted American troops in Iraq this week, which the Pentagon attributed to Iran-backed militias.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown could not say why the attack occurred, which was the first of its kind in months.

US troops were last attacked at Rumalyn Landing Zone in Syria on April 21 and near Al-Assad Airbase in Iraq on April 22. Prior to that, the last reported attacks were in February.

“The key part is we’re going to continue to defend ourselves, and we’re going to respond appropriately at a time in place of our choosing,” Brown said at the Aspen Security Forum.

US and Coalition forces at Iraq’s Al-Assad Airbase successfully intercepted two drones on Tuesday. No troops were injured, but there was damage to the base.

Last week, the top Pentagon official for Middle East policy and the US ambassador to Baghdad met with Iraqi officials to follow up on American troop withdrawal talks. These discussions are expected to continue in Washington next week.

Yemen’s Houthis

The US has been at the forefront of an international coalition to confront Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Iran-backed group started attacking merchant, commercial and military vessels in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

The Houthis have carried out at least 140 attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Nov. 19, according to Pentagon officials. The US recently swapped out an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea to assume the task of shooting down Houthi drones and missiles.

On Thursday, the group claimed a drone attack that targeted Tel Aviv, killing at least one person and injuring several others. Hours later, the Wall Street Journal reported that the top US general for the Middle East had sent a letter to the Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin about the lack of effectiveness in the Biden administration’s strategy to deter Houthi attacks. The US has been carrying out defensive and pre-emptive strikes on Houthi targets since January.

The group continues to launch attacks and has shown no signs of letting up. Asked about the US Central Command chief’s letter, Gen. Brown said it would “take more than just a military campaign” to take the Houthis off track of what they are doing.

Brown was pushed further when asked if it was time to strike Iran and send a message to Tehran that it ought to stop supporting these groups and supplying them with weapons. Senior US military officials have previously told Al Arabiya English that Iranian spy ships were aiding the Houthis to target specific ships in the Red Sea, including American military vessels. He said it was important to think strategically and consider what an attack could lead regarding further escalation or a broader conflict in the region. Brown pointed to President Joe Biden’s objectives in the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7: not to let the conflict in the Middle East expand.

“I think we’ve been effective doing that,” Brown said. But, he continued and warned, “I will also say we are prepared if need be, if the nation calls, to take action.”