U.S. REAPS WHAT IT SOW IN MIDDLE EAST

The United States has begun to face serious consequences in the Middle East as a result of its unlimited support to the Israeli war on the Palestinian Gaza Strip. On January 28, three U.S. troops were killed and some 47 others were wounded when a suicide done hit an American base on the Jordanian-Syrian border known as Tower 22. The U.S. said that the drone was launched from Syria and blamed forces backed by Iran in the country and neighboring Iraq. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), which has been attacking U.S. forces in response to the war in Gaza, announced attacks against U.S. bases in al-Tanf and al-Rukban, which are located near Tower 22, on the same day, but didn’t directly claim responsibility for the deadly attack. Kataib Hezbollah, which is thought to be a key faction of the IRI, announced the suspension of all operations against U.S. forces on January 30 to de-escalate and facilitate upcoming talks on an American withdrawal from Iraq. Despite this, Washington vowed to respond. The U.S. has been also facing more threats in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from Yemen. On January 29, the Houthis fired an anti-ship missile at the USS Lewis B. Puller, an expeditionary mobile base vessel of the U.S. Navy. U.S. defense officials denied that the vessel was hit. On January 30, the Houthis attacked another U.S. Navy vessel, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Gravely using several anti-ship missiles. U.S. officials admitted that one of the missiles almost hit the destroyer and was only intercepted from a very close range. On January 31, the Houthis announced an attack against the merchant vessel Koi in the Gulf of Aden and the U.S. Central Command said that the USS Carney destroyer intercepted a missile and three drones which were launched from Yemen. The command announced later on February 1 that it had carried out another wave of strikes against Yemen. Despite facing more and more threats, the U.S. continues to provide support to the Israeli war on Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 26,000 Palestinains, so far. Three months into the war, the Israeli military is yet to make a decisive victory on the ground. The US reaps but it cannot sell what it sows. Hamas and other factions are still firing rockets and their infrastructure, including the tunnel network, is still functioning. The growing threat and the fact that the war in Gaza can’t be won will likely force the U.S. and Israel to follow a more diplomatic solution in the end.