Secretary Austin: Time for meaningful strikes on Iran-backed paramilitary groups

2024-02-01 20:43:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that the time has come to deal a stronger blow to Iran-backed militias that have attacked US forces and ships in the Middle East, and that the United States is prepared to take significant actions in response to the deaths of three American servicemen in Jordan.

For days, the United States has signaled that attacks could be launched at any moment. Due to the risk of retaliation, some militant groups have announced that they will stop fighting. By Thursday, however, Yemen's Houthi rebels continued to attack ships and launched a ballistic missile at a Liberian-flagged ship in the Red Sea.

"At this point, it's time to eliminate even more of their capacity than we have in the past," Secretary Austin said Thursday during his first news conference since his hospitalization on Jan. 1 due to complications from treatment for prostate cancer.

Previous US airstrikes have not deterred militant attacks. Since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October, Iranian-backed militant groups have attacked US bases in Iraq and Syria at least 166 times, using rockets, shells and drones. In response, the United States has launched over a dozen airstrikes against militant targets in both countries. The US military has also carried out airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The United States considers the Islamic Resistance group in Iraq responsible for the attack on the Tower 22 base in Jordan. The group acts as a parent organization for Iranian-backed militias, among which is the Kataib Hezbollah militant group.

While Iran has denied involvement, Secretary Austin said Thursday that “we don't know how much Iran knew or didn't know. But it doesn't really matter, since Iran sponsors these groups."

Secretary Austin said that "without this help, these kinds of things would not have happened." He said the Pentagon is still examining the drone that struck the Tower 22 base, located in northeastern Jordan and which has played a crucial role for the US presence in neighboring Syria.

"I don't think the opponents have the mentality of attacking only once. And they have a lot of capacity. I have a lot more," said Secretary Austin. "We will do what is necessary to protect our forces."

In the Red Sea, Houthi militants have attacked merchant and warships almost 40 times since November. In the latest attack, they launched a ballistic missile at a Liberian-flagged cargo ship on Thursday, US officials said.

The attack took place west of Hodeidas, a port city in Yemen long controlled by rebels, a British military group that oversees shipping lines in the Middle East said. The crew and ship are unharmed and the explosion occurred at sea near the starboard side of the ship.

American officials said that the attacked ship is named "Koi" and is registered with ownership in Bermuda. Management company officials could not be contacted. The US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the disclosure. The Houthi group did not claim responsibility for the attack.

Houthi rebels say they are attacking the ships because of Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza. But they have often attacked ships with unclear or no ties to Israel, endangering shipping on this vital route for global trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The Houthis hit a merchant ship with a missile on January 26, causing a fire that continued to burn for hours.

The Pentagon has deployed the Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier to the region, along with at least six major US warships, fighter jets and aerial surveillance aircraft. These tools have already been put into use to carry out air strikes and protect ships.

The US military announced that late on Wednesday, US F/A-18 warplanes struck and destroyed 10 Houthi rebel drones that were preparing to launch, as well as a command post used by the rebels. The United States also intercepted a ballistic missile, as well as other drones that were launched during the day./ VOA