American and international media have again announced plans for the Pentagon to send an additional military contingent to the Middle East region. According to Fox News, we can talk about several thousand US troops, as well as the deployment of Patriot air defense systems in the Middle East and the deployment of additional forces of the Navy - submarines and surface ships carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The channel refers to anonymous sources in the defense circles, and CNN published similar news. According to the channel, the Pentagon intends to submit to Donald Trump’s national security team members its plan to send additional forces to the Middle East on May 23.
The channel refers to the words of three military officials familiar with the situation. At the same time, it is not yet known what decision will be taken in the end - it is not clear how the White House will react to the military plan, CNN sources say, and whether Donald Trump will give his consent to its implementation. It is reported that the initiative was developed at the request of the Central Command of the US Armed Forces, whose control includes the American contingent in the Middle East region.
Earlier, US officials estimated that a total of about 100,000 troops would be required to deliver a comprehensive strike on Iran.
The news of the Pentagon-builded plan for building up forces in the Middle East was published on the eve by the Associated Press international agency. Presumably, the Pentagon may transfer to the Middle East up to 10 thousand soldiers in addition. It is clarified that this step will not be the answer to any new threat, but only serve to strengthen security in the region.
The Pentagon did not deny and did not confirm this information.
"According to a long-standing policy, we are not going to discuss or speculate on potential future plans or requests for the dispatch of forces," TASS cites a statement from the press service of the US defense department.
During the weekly press briefing on May 23, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed concern about "forcing anti-Iranian hysteria in the United States."
“Its next round began after Tehran announced its intention to suspend Iran’s fulfillment of part of its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan regarding the nuclear program of this state in response to the massive US sanctions,” Zakharova said.
She recalled that Iran has the full right to take such steps on the basis of resolution 2231 of the UN Security Council, which in 2015 approved the SAPI.
"Article 26 says literally the following:" Iran will consider the reintroduction of sanctions as a basis for a full or partial termination of the fulfillment of its obligations ... "Therefore, there can be no complaints against Tehran in the context of the UHT system. At the same time, the Americans themselves came out of this agreement a year ago, ”the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stressed.
"Play a doublet"
Rumors of a possible transfer to the Middle East of additional parts of the US Armed Forces appeared earlier. In mid-May, The New York Times, citing unnamed sources in the US administration, announced a plan to deploy 120,000 troops in the region. Then it was reported about the intention of the Acting Secretary of Defense of the United States Patrick Shanahan to resort to such a plan if Tehran attacks the US military or “accelerates” its nuclear program. At the same time, there was no talk of an invasion of Iranian territory; this would require a much larger military contingent.
One of the authors of the plan to build up the US Armed Forces in the Middle East was Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton, media argued.
However, Donald Trump soon refuted this information, calling the messages about the upcoming dispatch of 120 thousand soldiers to the Middle East fake.
- John bolton
- Reuters
- © Kevin Lamarque
If the Pentagon nevertheless transfers an additional military contingent to the Middle East, this may adversely affect not only the situation around Iran, but also the situation in the region as a whole, experts say. In an interview with RT, Boris Dolgov, a leading researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained that the military and equipment would be transferred to a number of countries in the region where there are US military bases in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
“If the situation in Syria aggravates, the military can also arrive there, although so far the Americans are operating there with the hands of local armed formations,” the expert explained.
Vladimir Vasiliev, Chief Researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada, RAS, gave a similar assessment of the situation in a conversation with RT. According to the expert, if the additional forces of the United States will be transferred to the Middle East, they can be used by the Pentagon in Syria.
“First of all, because Iranian units are stationed in Syria, as well as military-political forces supporting Iran. Especially since Israel is already leading the bombing of areas where, in its opinion, pro-Iranian forces are concentrated. And the Americans can play a doublet, creating an alliance with Israel. According to some reports, Netanyahu is now eager to fight, figuratively speaking, and can take part in the operation, ”the expert suggested.
Recall that in early April, Donald Trump announced the inclusion of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the list of foreign terrorist organizations. Tehran’s response was the assignment of the US Central Command to terrorist structures. This decision was approved by the Iranian Parliament and at the end of April was signed by President Hassan Rouhani.
In early May, the US State Department put forward an ultimatum to the Iranian side - the American side demanded that the Islamic Republic abandoned plans to expand the Bushehr nuclear power plant, produce heavy water and export the enriched uranium from the country in exchange for uranium ore under the threat of new sanctions.
Iranian authorities rejected the conditions of the US administration, saying that Tehran will continue to develop a peaceful atomic program, because it is not prohibited by the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal.
- Tanker at the oil terminal in the port of Fujairah
- AFP
- © KARIM SAHIB
The next day, the Assistant Head of the White House for National Security Affairs, John Bolton, said that the American side would send an attack force of the Navy headed by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East region, as well as a group of strategic bombers B-52. According to Bolton, these actions of the Pentagon should be regarded as "a clear and unmistakable signal to the Iranian regime that any attack on the interests of the United States or our allies will be met with ruthless force."
The situation in the region was further aggravated by explosions on oil tankers in Saudi Arabia - on May 12, about ten Saudi tankers were damaged in the port of Fujairah in the UAE, no one took responsibility for the attack. The next day, explosions thundered on two more Saudi tankers crossing the Persian Gulf.
Although Tehran immediately disowned involvement in the incidents, the suspicions of the Saudi and American authorities immediately fell on Iran.
As stated by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Riyadh is ready to respond to any attack. The minister accused Iran of attacking Saudi oil tankers and trying to destabilize the situation in the region. Subsequently, the head of the State Department, Mike Pompeo, accused Tehran on the basis of the “nature of the attacks” and “all regional conflicts” that have been observed over the past decades. At the same time, the diplomat admitted that there is no direct evidence of Iran’s involvement in the incidents.
The situation was aggravated by rocket attacks on the American embassy in Baghdad - the rocket of the MLRS Katyusha fell on May 19 in the Iraqi capital, where foreign embassies and other official institutions are concentrated.
On the same day, Donald Trump warned Iran that the republic "would come to an end" if it tried to threaten the United States.
Subsequently, the Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said that the tasks of the American side include "deterring" Iran, and not armed escalation.
For its part, Tehran refuses to negotiate with the US administration. As the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, stated earlier, such proposals came from the United States about ten times. However, Tehran believes that the current situation does not have to negotiate.
“Save US Hegemony”
Meanwhile, in the American ruling circles there is no consensus on the Iranian issue. Thus, on May 23, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the congress rejected the initiative of congressmen from the Democratic Party, who insisted on banning any military actions against Iran without congressional sanctions.
In addition, the media previously reported possible disagreements on the Iranian issue between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor to the President John Bolton. Allegedly, the head of the State Department insists on a diplomatic resolution of disputes with Iran, and Bolton, who has long earned a reputation as a political hawk, on the contrary, requires not to reduce pressure on Tehran. Donald Trump even had to speak publicly about these rumors - the head of the White House said he was satisfied with the work of his administration.
- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
- Reuters
- © Abdullah Dhiaa Al-Deen
However, according to experts, these disagreements are purely internal in nature and will not ultimately affect US policy towards Iran. These are problems of the American leadership, but they will not lead to a softening of the White House’s foreign policy line, Boris Dolgov believes.
In the event that hostilities between Iran and the United States begin, they will inevitably grow.
“This is not in the interests of the United States now, since an armed conflict can lead to serious consequences, to strikes against Israel, to the emergence of hotbeds of hostilities throughout the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf region. Iran has ballistic missiles that can reach the territory of Israel and the territory of the US allies in the region, ”Dolgov explained.
According to the expert, now the parties will be able to keep from the war, despite the aggravation of the situation, and loud statements by representatives of the American administration, as well as the circulation of rumors about the transfer of additional units in the media, are designed to produce a psychological effect.
“The anti-Iranian policy of the United States is aimed at preserving the hegemony of the United States in the Middle East. The maximum task is a regime change in Iran, on the way to it, destabilization of the situation is possible when the anti-Iran hysteria is forcing, ”Boris Dolgov is sure.
In turn, Vladimir Vasilyev believes that the leaks of information about the transfer of additional US troops to the Middle East should be taken seriously. In his opinion, the withdrawal of Tehran from a nuclear deal amid sanctions pressure will unleash the White House's hands for power actions.
“In this context, the transfer of the military to the region looks like a very urgent task. However, this cannot be done quickly, it takes time, ”the expert explained.
The transfer of additional contingent to the Middle East is likely to be carried out in small groups over several months, Vasiliev said.
“It is likely that the redeployment of the military has either begun or is about to begin. Another sign in favor of this is the evacuation of American diplomats from Baghdad after a rocket attack. As for Washington’s statements on the inadmissibility of war, they may be related to the position of the Democratic Party: the Congress Democrats are categorically opposed to military action. And the Republicans are acting according to the classical scheme - they are talking about peace, in order to absolve themselves of responsibility for the outbreak of war, ”concluded the expert.