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Escalating Iranian-Backed Terrorist Attacks in the Middle East Heighten Concerns Over U.S. Response

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In recent developments, the Middle East has witnessed a surge in attacks against U.S. forces by Iranian-backed terrorist groups, leading to growing frustrations among U.S. officials over President Joe Biden’s perceived lack of a forceful response. Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports that approximately a dozen attacks were launched within a 48-hour period, targeting various sites, including Al Asad Air Base, Mission Support Site Euphrates, Rumalyn Landing Zone, Patrol Base Shaddadi, Erbil, Green Village, and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

The onslaught, comprising missile and drone strikes, represents an alarming escalation in hostilities, with U.S. forces being targeted multiple times since October 17 by Islamic terrorist groups supported by Iran. Notably, these attacks have extended beyond ground forces, with missiles and drones being used against U.S. Navy warships in the Red Sea.

U.S. Central Command disclosed on Saturday that the French Navy successfully intercepted two Houthi drones in the Red Sea, originating from Yemen. The situation has prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express concern directly to President Biden, indicating that Israel is prepared to take action against the Houthi terrorists if the U.S. fails to respond adequately. This warning follows repeated attacks by the Houthi group on shipping vessels associated with Israel.

Criticism of President Biden’s handling of the situation has intensified, with numerous U.S. defense officials expressing concern about the lack of a robust response. Critics argue that Biden’s approach, intended to avoid escalation, is inadvertently fueling an increase in attacks. Former CIA official Marc Polymeropoulos emphasized the need for immediate strikes on Houthi targets, stating that action is imperative.

Retired Vice Adm. John Miller, former commander of U.S. 5th Fleet, echoed these concerns, asserting that the U.S. is not taking the situation seriously, as the attacks have gone largely unanswered. Miller emphasized the failure to deter the perpetrators, stating that the current approach is not effectively preventing further acts of aggression.

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US Navy Warship and Commercial Vessels Attacked in Red Sea Amid Rising Tensions

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A U.S. Navy warship, the USS Carney (DDG-64), and multiple commercial vessels faced an attack on Sunday in the Red Sea, marking a potential escalation in maritime hostilities linked to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The Pentagon confirmed the incident and stated they are aware of the attacks, with the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-Class guided-missile destroyer, being among the targeted vessels. As of now, there is no indication that the USS Carney returned fire on the assailants.

According to an anonymous U.S. official, the attack reportedly began around 10 a.m. in Sanaa, Yemen, and persisted for up to five hours. The Pentagon has not disclosed the source of the hostile fire. The Houthis, who control most of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and are allied with Iran, have not yet commented on the incident. However, a Houthi terrorist spokesman hinted at an impending “important” statement.

This event follows a recent engagement where the USS Carney intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and multiple drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen. Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder described the earlier incident as a “demonstration” of American capabilities and commitment to safeguarding partners and interests in the region.

The British military reported a suspected drone attack and explosions in the Red Sea, providing no further details. Last month, Houthi terrorists seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship, further heightening tensions in the region. The Houthi group’s actions underscore its alignment with Iran and its role in controlling Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

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Iranian Drone Harasses U.S. Aircraft Carrier in Persian Gulf, Raising Tensions

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An Iranian drone harassed a U.S. air craft carrier in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, according to a U.S. defense official.

The incident comes after Iranian terrorist proxies in the region have hijacked and attempted to hijack cargo ships and tankers in recent weeks that are tied to Israel. . .

One video that circulated on social media this week purported to show footage from an Iranian drone that was harassing the same carrier strike group.

The footage appears to correlate with statements from an official in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who said that the drone’s presence interfered with U.S. helicopter operations, according to Iran’s state-run Farsnews Agency.

Satellite imagery from this week showed the carrier strike group only 62 miles away from Iran, a clear sign from the U.S. that Iran should not escalate tensions in the region. (Read more from “Iranian Drone Harasses U.S. Aircraft Carrier in Persian Gulf, Raising Tensions” HERE)

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Iranian-Backed Terrorists Seize Cargo Ship in Red Sea, Prompting Israeli Condemnation

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Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists from Yemen reportedly seized a cargo ship in the Red Sea on Sunday, which comes after the terrorist group had recently threatened to target Israeli-flagged vessels in the area.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader cargo ship was leased to a Japanese company from a British company that is partially owned by an Israeli businessman.

“Israel strongly condemns the Iranian attack against an international vessel,” the Israeli government said in a statement. “The ship, which is owned by a British company and is operated by a Japanese firm, was hijacked with Iran guidance by the Yemenite Houthi militia.”

The statement said that there were 25 crew members on the ship from all over the world, but none were from Israel. The 620-foot ship had left a port in Turkey and was headed to India when it was seized by the terrorists. (Read more from “Iranian-Backed Terrorists Seize Cargo Ship in Red Sea, Prompting Israeli Condemnation” HERE)

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Report: Iran Refuses Direct Involvement in Hamas Attacks on Israel, No Intent to Join Fight

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Iran claims Hamas did not give advance notice of its Oct. 7 terrorist attacks and will not join the group in its fight against Israel, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei told Hamas head Ismail Haniyeh last month that, though Iran would continue to offer moral support, it would not get directly involved in the terror group’s fight against Israel, according to Iranian and Hamas officials who anonymously spoke to Reuters. Khamenei pressured Haniyeh to suppress Palestinian calls for Iran and Hezbollah, one of its proxy terror groups, to fully join the fight.

The Hamas Oct. 7 attacks resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of hundreds of civilians. Iran has historically supported and funded Hamas to carry out its will, as well as over a dozen other terror and militia groups located throughout the Middle East, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Hamas has been encouraging its Iranian-backed allies to aid in the fight against Israel since the initial Oct. 7 attacks, Reuters reported.

“Our brothers in the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, this is the day when your resistance unites with your people in Palestine,” Hamas’ military commander Mohammed Deif said on Oct. 7. (Read more from “Report: Iran Refuses Direct Involvement in Hamas Attacks on Israel, No Intent to Join Fight” HERE)

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Iran Intensifies Global Assassination Efforts, Targets Former Trump Officials, Dissidents

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The Islamic Republic of Iran is reportedly increasing efforts to assassinate its enemies on foreign soil while it continues to escalate terrorist attacks against Israel and U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East.

A CBS News “60 Minutes” segment that aired this week reported numerous former Trump administration officials have 24/7 security from federal law enforcement officials because the threats are serious.

Iran reportedly hired a hitman to kidnap or kill former national security adviser John Bolton, who now lives with Secret Service posted outside his home after the administration killed Qasem Soleimani, arguably the top military official in Iran who was responsible for a large portion of the terrorism in the region and around the world.

Iran typically tries to hire hitmen who are already a part of criminal enterprises to carry out their assassination plots on foreign soil.

In the U.S., Iran reportedly hired a private investigator to follow dissident activist Masih Alinejad around, take photographs of her, and document her whereabouts. They initially planned to kidnap her but, when the plot failed, they paid a man $30,000 to attempt to murder her at her home in Brooklyn. (Read more from “Iran Intensifies Global Assassination Efforts, Targets Former Trump Officials, Dissidents” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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Biden Admin Considering Giving Iran Access to Another $10 Billion

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The Biden administration — through the State Department specifically — is reportedly considering issuing a waiver to Iran that would allow access to another $10 billion worth of previously frozen cash, this time held in Iraq.

This alarming development comes after the Biden administration — in the days before Iran-backed Hamas terrorists launched their October 7 slaughter of Israelis — unfroze billions of dollars for Iran as part of a questionable prisoner swap arrangement. Since that deal was made, Iranian proxies have continued to launch attacks at Israel as well as U.S. troops in the Middle East, wounding dozens of American service members.

More on the inexplicable situation from the Washington Free Beacon and FDD Senior Advisor Richard Goldberg:

The Biden administration may approve a sanctions waiver on Tuesday that will allow Iran to access at least $10 billion in previously frozen funds held in Iraq, a closely watched decision that comes just a month after the Tehran-backed terror group Hamas launched an attack on Israel that left 1,200 dead.

The waiver would extend the multibillion-dollar sanctions relief first issued in July that expires tomorrow. It allows Iraq to transfer frozen electricity payments into Iranian-owned bank accounts in Europe and Oman. The waiver renewal is driving concerns that the Biden administration is maintaining financial avenues for Tehran as the country’s terrorist proxies foment chaos across the Middle East.

“The world is living in a post-Oct. 7 world, but the White House is still running an Oct. 6 policy toward Iran,” Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and sanctions expert who previously served on the White House National Security Council, told the Washington Free Beacon, referring to Hamas’s attack last month. “Why should Iran have any access to more than $10 billion after sponsoring one of the worst terrorist attacks against American citizens and the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust? It would make more sense to freeze all of these accounts and keep every penny out of Tehran’s hands.”

(Read more from “Biden Admin Considering Giving Iran Access to Another $10 Billion” HERE)

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White House Dismisses Iran Proxies Continuing to Strike Troops

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. . .[CNN] Host Wolf Blitzer asked, “As you know, the U.S. struck Iranian weapons in Syria last night in retaliation for attacks on American forces. But since then, U.S. troops have already been targeted in four more attacks. So, are these U.S. retaliatory strikes actually working?”

Kirby answered, “It is not uncommon after we take a retaliatory strike for there to be some sort of secondary set of strikes by these proxy groups. We haven’t seen them be very effective. That doesn’t mean we’re taking it lightly or we’re undermining it at all. Obviously, we’ll continue to do what we have to do to protect our troops in Iraq and Syria. You heard the president talk about that today. Look, these proxy groups and the IRGC, the Revolutionary Guard Corps that supports them, resources them, trains them, funds them, gives them these capabilities, they have a choice to make. We’ve shown that we will do what we have to do to protect our troops in Iraq and Syria. We’ll continue to do that. If they want yet more responses from the American…military, then they’ll have to deal with the consequences for that, if they’re going to keep striking.” (Read more from “White House Dismisses Iran Proxies Continuing to Strike Troops” HERE)

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U.S. Conducts Second Round of Retaliatory Airstrikes in Syria as Attacks on Troops Rises to 41

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The U.S. conducted a second round of retaliatory airstrikes at facilities used by Iran’s elite military and Iran-backed groups in Syria on Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

Attacks by Iranian-backed militias on bases in Iraq and Syria hosting U.S. troops numbered 41 on Wednesday after at least one more was confirmed, Fox News reported. The retaliatory strikes marked the second time the U.S. has targeted facilities linked to Iran and its proxy militias since the wave of attempted drone and rocket attacks beginning on Oct. 17.

“This precision self-defense strike is a response to a series of attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by IRGC-Quds Force affiliates,” Austin said in the statement. “The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.”

(Read more from “U.S. Conducts Second Round of Retaliatory Airstrikes in Syria as Attacks on Troops Rises to 41” HERE)

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Top U.S. Senators Warn Military Will Strike Iran Under Two Conditions

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Top U.S. Senators said over the weekend that they are introducing a bipartisan resolution calling for military strikes against Iran if its terror proxies in the Middle East kill any U.S. soldiers or if Hezbollah opens up a second front against Israel.

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) made the remarks during a CNN interview Sunday morning with Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”

The segment comes after Hamas murdered 1,400 Israelis in an unprecedented terrorist attack last month and Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group in Lebanon, has conducted small scale attacks against Israel as it weighs whether to launch a full-scale attack.

“It basically says, if the war expands, if Hezbollah opens up a second front in the north against Israel in a substantial way to overwhelm Iron Dome, then we should hit the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Graham said. “There is no Hamas without the Ayatollahs’ support. There is no Hezbollah without the Ayatollahs’ support. The great Satan in the region is not Israel or the United States. It’s Iran.” (Read more from “Top U.S. Senators Warn Military Will Strike Iran Under Two Conditions” HERE)

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