Part of the American attacks on Iraq that they carried out in response to targeting American bases in the region (social networking sites)

Tehran -

A member of the Iranian State Media Council, Abdullah Ganji, considered the American raids that targeted “7 facilities that included more than 85 targets used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its affiliated armed groups” in Syria and Iraq, as a license to expand the war in the region.

Commenting on the military strikes that came last night in response to the targeting of American bases, Kenji wrote on the

From the first moments of the operation carried out by the US Army following the attack that took place in Jordan last Sunday, which resulted in the killing of 3 American soldiers, the Iranians responded to the White House’s statement that “the American response began tonight, and will not end tonight,” and Iranian circles raised questions about how Tehran would deal with it. With American strikes in the coming days.

Initial photos of the air strikes announced by the US Central Command on sites in #Iraq and Syria#News pic.twitter.com/4DO5nDltDk

- Al Jazeera Channel (@AJArabic) February 2, 2024

the edge of the abyss

The former head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Iranian Parliament, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, said in an interview with Al Jazeera Net that Tehran and Washington are the only ones that do not want a military confrontation between them, and are seeking to contain the tension, describing the recent tension as “putting a smile on the lips of the entity’s prime minister.” Zionist Benjamin Netanyahu.

US President Joe Biden - who participated yesterday, Friday, in the ceremony to receive the bodies of the three dead - had confirmed that his country “does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” but he continued, saying, “Let all those who might seek to cause harm know.” We will respond."

At the same time, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi said that his country “will not start a war, but it will respond forcefully to tyranny and anyone who tries to bully it,” as he put it, adding that the Americans confirm that they do not intend to enter into a conflict with his country, while they had previously They say that the military option is before them when dealing with Iran.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Falahat Bisheh adds that “the current Iranian-American friction has reached a dangerous turning point that has put the region on the brink of abyss,” and that he has two scenarios before him, the first of which is “containing the tension by reactivating hidden diplomacy and reaching an unwritten agreement that will avoid confrontation,” describing the chances of achieving this. The scenario is considered "minimal" at the current stage.

US President Joe Biden participates in the reception ceremony for the three soldiers who were killed in a drone attack targeting US forces in #Jordan last Sunday pic.twitter.com/HOdSwc4uLW

- Al Jazeera Channel (@AJArabic) February 2, 2024

Dangerous slide

As for the second scenario, according to the former Iranian MP, it “may lead to an intensification of the confrontation and raise the escalation to dangerous levels if the United States decides to move forward with implementing similar operations against targets belonging to the resistance factions in Iraq and Syria, similar to the ongoing and repeated American and British operations in Yemen.”

The American Fox News network quoted a defense official as saying that the strikes were from multiple platforms, and that they were the beginning of a long campaign to target pro-Iranian groups in the coming days. The New York Times also quoted American officials as saying that other strikes will be launched in the coming days, and their scope may expand to include other facilities and armed groups.

The same spokesman continued, "If the United States decides to turn last night's operations into a policy of attrition against the resistance factions in Syria and Iraq on the one hand, and those factions continue to target American bases on the other hand, this will mean that both sides will insist on walking on the brink of the abyss, which may result in... "The situation is out of control."

Division of roles

Regarding the possibility of expanding the confrontation into international waters, Amir Ali Abu Al-Fath, a researcher in Iranian-American relations, believes that “the American side wants the confrontation in stages, and if Iran or its allies respond by launching a harsh strike against American interests, a maritime confrontation will be possible.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, the Iranian researcher believes that “the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle changed the balance of power in the Middle East in favor of the resistance axis, and that the Western and Hebrew axis agreed to divide the roles to confront Iran and the Islamic resistance movements.”

Abu Al-Fath believes that “the Israeli entity takes upon itself the task of undermining the capabilities of the Islamic resistance in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and southern Lebanon, while the task of indirectly confronting Iran and targeting the resistance factions in Iraq and Yemen has been entrusted to the American side, provided that the Zionist-American axis cooperates in targeting the factions.” loyal to Iran on Syrian territory.”

When he pointed out that the balance of power militarily leans in favor of the American-Israeli axis, he believed that his country and its allies “will adopt a policy to ensure its current capabilities as much as possible and asymmetric warfare tactics to deliver painful strikes against the enemies’ front.”

🚨 An informed Iranian source said that the #Revolutionary_Guard and its #Quds_Force do not have any bases, centers or barracks in #Syria or #Iraq, and American claims in this regard are false and misleading. Any attack on Iranian interests will have serious consequences for American forces in the region.

- Muhammad Saleh Sedghian (@msedghian) February 3, 2024

War and elections

Abu Al-Fath points out that the resistance factions in Iraq, Syria and Yemen were born out of the operations that targeted the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance more than 10 years ago, stressing that “the new round of targeting resistance movements in the Middle East will generate unparalleled capabilities during the next decade.”

The same spokesman explains that "the developments of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood have led to a decline in the popularity of US President Joe Biden, who will run for the 2024 presidency, and that he seeks to compensate by targeting resistance factions in the region, in the event that the Republican camp exploits these operations to direct criticism against him."

Regarding the possibility of the Iranian elections scheduled for early next March being affected by tension in the Middle East, Abu Al-Fath believes that foreign threats will increase the solidarity of the Iranian people with the ruling authorities.

While the Iranian researcher rules out that his country will respond to last night's operations, given the evacuation of the targeted bases during the past five days, another Iranian segment considers the current stage a valuable opportunity to resolve the disputes and thorny issues between Tehran and Washington.

Hosam al-Din Ashna, advisor to the former Iranian president, commented on the recent article by CIA Director William Burns, in which he believes that “the key to the security of Israel - and the region - is dealing with Iran over its nuclear program, enabling Russian aggression, and curbing the Houthis.” Ashna wrote on the X platform that “the current stage is the best time to make a deal with America,” which sparked the ire of the conservative Persian media.

Source: Al Jazeera