Observers believe that the US administration is going with Iran the same way in the "war on Iraq"

About 16 months ago, former US Secretary of Defense James Matisse outlined a Pentagon course. After 17 years of war in the Middle East, Matisse saw US priority as Russia and China, not terrorism, but this week ordered the White House A US-based aircraft carrier and fighter jets moved into the US Central Command area in a stark display of force aimed at countering what Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Chanahan called a "threat from Iran to attack US forces." Then on Friday, the United States sent additional preparations To the region, including the amphibious ship model «USS Arlington», which are used in the transfer of US Marines and their equipment, and a Patriot missile battery, according to the Pentagon.

Threats

A Pentagon official told reporters on Friday that the Pentagon was monitoring possible threats to US forces in the region from Iran and its proxy forces on land and at sea. The Pentagon in the Arabian Gulf monitored "abnormal maritime activity" by Iranian regime ships, such as sailing ships loaded with possible military equipment, including rockets.

These unusual movements of US military forces, first announced by National Security Adviser John Bolton, reflect the Pentagon's challenge to applying the concept of rivaling its superpower adversaries while still drowning in and around current operations.

"Despite all the administration's attempts to limit the US presence in the Middle East, the final step shows how difficult it is for the United States to abandon the region to provide resources to focus on Russia and China," said Pica Wasser, a political analyst at Rand Corp..

The continued focus on Iran, despite the Pentagon's declared goal of competition against Russia and China, has frustrated many observers and former officials. Wasser points out that the Pentagon classifies Iran as a fourth-grade threat in the 2018 National Defense Strategy, the Pentagon's latest guidance document.

"It is ironic that Iran poses a threat similar to that posed by Russia and China," says a former defense official. "They are playing in the Middle East and everywhere." The former official expressed the hope that once Shanhan was confirmed as the official defense minister, the balance would once again turn into a competition of major powers. Shanhan, who on his second day in office last January stressed that China was a top priority, finally issued a statement on the move almost a day after the White House announced the arrangement. "Iran calls on the Iranian regime to stop all provocations and to hold it responsible for any attack on American forces or our interests," he said. The move was made by the new commander of the US Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, but left the announcement to the White House, according to a defense official. McKenzie asked for additional troops in the region following "recent and clear indications that Iranian and other proxy forces are preparing to attack US forces," said Central Command spokesman Capt. Bill Urban.

The escalating tensions with Tehran are very similar to the period leading up to the Iraq war in 2003, and their common denominator is Bolton. Some diplomats and experts worry that the nuclear fuse is about to ignite. Increasing evidence suggests that the US president is heading for war - whether he is aware of it or not.

During a congressional hearing a few days ago, Annan confirmed that the Pentagon had received indications of "very reliable intelligence" on the afternoon of May 3, and the administration has not yet provided details about the intelligence or where it originated. McKinsey played a role in escalating the recent tension between Washington and Tehran. Leadership in the most troubled region of the world was picked up by General Joseph Fotill in March after serving as Joint Chief of Staff at the Pentagon under Matisse since 2017.

Strict attitude

McKenzie made his point on Wednesday during a speech in Washington that revealed a hardline stance on Tehran and dedicated nearly half of his 30-minute speech to Iran's "malignant" activity and ambition around the world. More than 600 US servicemen have been killed in Iraq and a clear warning has been issued to the regime. "While we do not seek war, Iran should not confuse our planned approach with its belief in our unwillingness to implement," McKenzie said of the deployment.

Some expressed doubts that Bolton's statement was more than a token gesture, pointing out that the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was already on a programmed deployment mission in the Mediterranean, and that it planned to eventually go to the Central Command, but the Pentagon hastened the aircraft carrier's move, Planned visit to Croatia, because the United States had no presence at all in the Arabian Gulf.

Important step

The deployment of a small force of fighters is also an important step, although the fighters usually come and go easily to and from the area. However, the B-1 squadron, based at Qatar's Air Base, left in March and has not yet been replaced, Normal, many attributed to the defeat of the organization «Dahesh». Another defense official confirmed that the deployment of the fighters, which consists of four aircraft from the Air Base Parkdale Air Force in Louisiana, was not planned before. The deployment of the force of duty is a reference to Russia and China on the offensive capability of the US combat force, said Hans Christensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists. However, he believes this is exaggerated and stems from the administration's obsession with Iran.

In an article published by Foreign Policy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Development of Forces between 2017 and 2018, Elbridge Colby, stressed that preparing for a war with Russia or China does not mean ignoring other threats to America's interests. It only means that the United States will define its correct approach to Those threats. "The United States needs to verify Iran's aspirations for regional hegemony, but it must not overthrow the Islamic Republic," he wrote. "The United States does not need F-22s to attack terrorist sanctuaries or an entire brigade to support the Middle East armies. UAVs at the lowest cost ».

Based on this logic, sending an aircraft carrier and fighter to respond to an Iranian threat may not have been exaggerated, especially as US forces often face provocation from Iran and its proxies.

McKenzie stressed that the deployment of troops is an example of what the army calls "the use of dynamic force," which means a flexible enough force to respond quickly to any emergency around the world. "This signals to our allies and adversaries that the United States can show strength where we need it, .

But in the end, Bolton's unexpected announcement reflects a setback to the US competition from other major powers, as Wassers put it, which confirmed that this declaration ultimately undermines the main priority of the Pentagon's competition for Russia and China, in the world's largest scheme, In which resources and interest in the Middle East are declining.

Lara Selejman is a writer for Foreign Policy magazine

The escalating tensions with Tehran are very similar to the period leading up to the Iraq war in 2003, the common denominator being Bolton. Some diplomats and experts worry that the nuclear fuse is about to ignite. Increasing evidence suggests that the US president is heading for war, whether he is aware of it or not.