31 January 2024 , 21:43
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British forces across the Middle East are on high alert for an American revenge strike on Iranian groups for killing three US soldiers.
UK warships and bases have bolstered defences and security and are preparing for Iranian counter-strikes following warnings from Tehran. Pentagon chiefs are planning a blitz on Iranian proxy group the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which hit a US outpost called Tower 22 in north east Jordan with a drone, also injuring 40.
The devastating strike followed months of drone and rocket strikes on US and UK sites in Iraq. The Pentagon was secretly planning a retaliatory mission but Sunday’s drone attack is said to have jolted the Biden administration into a multi-tiered operation, while trying not to escalate the crisis further.
Attacks by the US are likely to put at risk UK forces, with some 2,300 based all over the Middle East. And in the Red Sea, two Royal Navy warships, Type 45 Destroyer HMS Diamond and Type 23 HMS Richmond are on patrol protecting shipping from Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Three US soldiers died in the strike over the weekend (Planet Labs/AFP via Getty Images)Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the UN in New York, warned: “The Islamic Republic would decisively respond to any attack on the county, its interests and nationals under any pretexts.”
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He said any possible Iranian retaliation will be a “strong response”. Revolutionary Guard chief General Hossein Salami said: “We are not after war, but we have no fear of war.”
The US believes the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias that includes militant group Kataib Hezbollah, planned and facilitated the Tower 22 attack. Last night a security source said: “The delay in US response is because they are lining up all their assets in preparation, improving security at bases and getting ready.
“It is probable that non-essential staff will be sent home as a precaution against some kind of military push-back from Iran.”
Intelligence analysis from the highly-respected Soufan Group, run by terrorism expert and ex-FBI specialist Ali Soufan warns: “The US response to the attack in Jordan could unfold along several lines of effort.
“One response could be to target Iranian-backed militia infrastructure and personnel in western Iraq and eastern Syria. The US intelligence community maintains high-level intelligence on Iranian targets and has a long list of sites to choose from.
Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Anadolu via Getty Images)“The goal will be to respond directly to the perpetrators of the attack in Jordan, which is the most justifiable politically for the Biden administration. The response to the Jordan attack could be a tiered approach, sustained over days at different sites.
“The US military could also target Iranian naval assets in the Persian Gulf, an option favoured by those in Washington calling for the Biden administration to exact a higher price on Iran. This remains to be determined, especially when considering the administration’s desire to avoid further escalation.”
Around 1,400 British troops are based in Iraq and are taking part in training missions, mainly in Erbil. And thousands of ex-pat oil workers and ex-military personnel work in the region.
In Gaza 150 people have been killed and 313 wounded in 24 hours as Israeli forces battle militants. The latest Palestinian death toll from Israel’s offensive after the October 7 attacks is 26,900.