By Alireza Hashemi
The United States should not expect its interests in West Asia to remain untouched as it continues to prop up the Israeli regime and its genocide in Gaza, says an Iranian analyst.
Speaking to the Press TV website, Sa’adollah Zarei, an expert on West Asia affairs, said only an end to the ongoing bloodshed in the besieged territory can de-escalate tensions in the region.
“If the US doesn’t want further escalation, it should contain Israel. If they’re arming Israel to slaughter Palestinians and vetoing calls for a ceasefire and staging attacks against the resistance forces across the region, they should be ready to pay some costs,” he asserted.
US bases in Iraq and Syria have been repeatedly targeted since October 7 when the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
One of the attacks late last month on a US military base called ‘Tower 22’ in Jordan near the border with Syria led to the killing of three US soldiers and injuries to dozens of others.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of resistance factions in the Arab country, has carried out a string of attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria in recent months as a mark of solidarity with the people and resistance in Palestine.
On Friday, the US launched a series of strikes on 85 positions in Iraq and Syria, claiming to target the positions of the Iraqi resistance.
Some US lawmakers had in recent days also called for attacks on Iran, claiming the attack on the US base was supported by Iran. That prompted Iranian officials to issue stern warnings.
Zarei, who also serves on the editorial board of Keyhan newspaper, said the US attack was a “controlled response” and a “face-saving reaction” to the attack on the Jordan base, which he described as a “command center” directing US military operations in Iraq and Syria.
“The US attack was mostly a show and a face-saving reaction to the attack on its Jordan base. They have several times attacked Iraqi positions recently and these new attacks were very similar to them,” he stated.
Touching on statements by US officials that they intend to press ahead with their attacks in Iraq and Syria, Zarei said Washington’s efforts to restore its reputation are doomed to fail.
Iran doesn’t seek escalation
Asked if Iran may take military action in response to attacks against Gaza, Zarei said Iran does not want a war in the region and its focus has been on preventing further escalation in the region.
“Iran does not want to further fan the flames of tensions and its focus is on putting an end to the Israeli war on Gaza. Iran is not attacked so there’s no reason it wants to engage in attacks,” the analyst remarked.
However, he hastened to add that Yemenis, Iraqis, and other resistance forces might be motivated to hit the US interests, considering that Washington has launched serial bombing campaigns against them.
The Tehran-based commentator said both Iraqis and Yemenis appear defiant in the face of US attacks and are determined more than ever to respond to the strikes.
“The Iraqi resistance has already launched several attacks against US bases, including the al-Harir airbase. If the US conducts more attacks, resistance will engage in more attacks,” he said.
The US and UK have also staged three waves of aerial attacks on Yemen, the latest of them on Saturday. The attacks, they claimed, were a response to Yemen’s operations in the Red Sea.
Yemen has barred Israeli-linked ships from passing through the strategic waterway and has targeted vessels defying its repeated warnings.
Yayha Saree, a spokesman for Yemen’s armed forces, in a statement, vowed that the latest wave of airstrikes on the Arab country “will not pass without response and punishment”.
“The US cannot assume it can provide unwavering arms and diplomatic support to Israel, enabling the ongoing genocide of Gazans, and the only viable solution for restoring tranquility in the region is to bring an end to the tragic events unfolding in Gaza,” he stressed.
