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20+ U.S. Personnel Injured in Iran-Backed Attacks in Iraq, Syria

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The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday that two dozen American military personnel were injured during drone attacks by Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq and Syria last week.

CENTCOM told NBC News that 20 United States personnel suffered minor injuries during the October 18 drone attack on the al-Tanf military base in southern Syria. All of the injured personnel were able to return to duty, and the base suffered no significant damage.

Four more American military personnel were injured during two drone attacks on United States and coalition forces at the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq on October 18. All four of the injured personnel were able to return to duty. In one of those attacks, debris from an intercepted drone destroyed a small aircraft hangar.

CENTCOM’s remarks to NBC were the first public statement about casualties incurred during attacks by Iranian proxy forces since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. An umbrella group for the militias calling itself the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” (IRI) claimed it was able to kill several American soldiers with its attacks, but the Pentagon insisted there were no fatalities.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday there were at least ten attacks against United States and coalition forces in Iraq between October 17 and 24, plus three in Syria, using “a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets.” (Read more from “20+ U.S. Personnel Injured in Iran-Backed Attacks in Iraq, Syria” HERE)

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Major Chance of Escalation in Attacks on U.S. Troops, Pentagon Says

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Iran and its proxy militias in the Middle East intend to escalate conflict by attacking U.S. troops based in the region, defense and military officials said on Monday.

Since Thursday, U.S. troops based in Iraq and Syria have endured at least 5 drone and rocket attacks, while Iran-backed Iraqi militant groups have claimed several additional attacks. The Pentagon initially said the incidents should be considered independently, but on Monday, senior officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to give a situational update, said they are part of a concerted effort by Iran to draw the U.S. into conflict.

“What has happened in the last several days is efforts by Iran and Iranian proxy forces in an attempt to escalate this conflict,” a senior defense official said Monday.

“We see a much more significant prospect for conflict in the near term,” the official continued, adding that U.S. forces are prepared for any potential escalation. The U.S. will “hold Iran accountable” for its actions, the official said. (Read more from “Major Chance of Escalation in Attacks on U.S. Troops, Pentagon Says” HERE)

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The Real Reason Hamas Just Released Two American Hostages

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According to Israeli officials, Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hamas released two American hostages Friday afternoon for “humanitarian” purposes after kidnapping and holding them in the Gaza Strip for nearly two weeks. The release of Natalie and Judith Raanan, a mother and daughter from Illinois, was reportedly negotiated by Qatar – a major non-NATO U.S. ally under heavy scrutiny for harboring Hamas leaders who live in luxury in the capitol of Doha.

“Today, we have secured the release of two Americans taken hostage by Hamas during the horrific terrorist assault against Israel on October 7. Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear,” President Joe Biden released in a statement. “These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal, and we should all respect their privacy in this moment.”

“From the earliest moments of this attack, we have been working around-the-clock to free American citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas, and we have not ceased our efforts to secure the release of those who are still being held. I thank the government of Qatar and the government of Israel for their partnership in this work,” the president continued. “Jill and I have been holding close in our hearts all the families of unaccounted for Americans. And, as I told those families when I spoke with them last week—we will not stop until we get their loved ones home. As president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans held hostage around the world.”

(Read more from “The Real Reason Hamas Just Released Two American Hostages” HERE)

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U.S. Navy Destroyer Shoots Down Cruise Missiles Potentially Headed Toward Israel: Pentagon

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The USS Carney, a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer in the northern Red Sea, on Thursday shot down multiple missiles and drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen that the Pentagon said were potentially headed toward targets in Israel.

It is the first time in recent memory that a U.S. Navy ship in the Middle East has engaged missiles and drones that were not directly aimed at the vessel.

It’s also the first U.S. military action taken to defend Israel in the current crisis and with the U.S. and other countries trying to contain the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the possibility that an Iranian-backed proxy group fired missiles and drones at Israel is sure to increase growing regional tensions.

The ship was in the northern Red Sea on Thursday evening local time when it intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and several drones, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a press briefing. U.S. officials told ABC News that the Carney had brought down eight drones launched by the Houthis.

The preliminary U.S. assessment was that the USS Carney was not the target of any of the Houthi missiles or drones, according to multiple U.S. officials. (Read more from “U.S. Navy Destroyer Shoots Down Cruise Missiles Potentially Headed Toward Israel: Pentagon” HERE)

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Iranian-Backed Terrorists Launch Attacks Against U.S. Forces in Iraq, Syria

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U.S. forces have come under fire multiple times throughout the Middle East over the last several days from Iranian-backed terror proxy groups.

The attacks come after the USS Carney, a destroyer, was sailing in the northern Red Sea on Thursday when it detected and shot down three cruise missiles and multiple drones that were launched by Houthis, an Iranian-backed terrorist group, in Yemen. Officials said that the guided-missile destroyer was swarmed by approximately two dozen drones and they did not disclose what munitions were used to shoot down the missiles or drones.

An American contractor died on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack while running to a shelter during a drone attack at Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq.

The New York Times noted that while military investigators were still trying to ascertain who launched the drone attacks, Iran has launched these types of attacks on U.S. forces.

Multiple blasts from rockets and drones struck inside the base on Thursday night, according to Reuters. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties or damage from the attacks. (Read more from “Iranian-Backed Terrorists Launch Attacks Against U.S. Forces in Iraq, Syria” HERE)

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Joe Biden Visits Israel, but Continues to Remain Silent on the Iran Threat

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Given the latest war developments, a hot question in Washington is whether President Biden should stick to his plan to visit Israel immediately.

Here’s a bigger, better question: What’s Biden’s plan for Iran?

. . .

All of which leads to a growing suspicion the president’s decision to travel halfway around the world has an ulterior motive.

The timing suggests it is designed primarily to stall and perhaps prevent Israel from launching its expected ground assault into Gaza.

The assumption is that Biden has failed to get Netanyahu’s agreement to hold off, and so is forcing the issue by showing up on the prime minister’s doorstep. (Read more from “Joe Biden Visits Israel, but Continues to Remain Silent on the Iran Threat” HERE)

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Hezbollah Calls for ‘Day of Unprecedented Anger’ at Israel, U.S.; U.S. Issues Lebanon Travel Advisory

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Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group that is based in Lebanon, called for a day of “unprecedented anger” directed at Israel after there was an explosion at a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of people.

Mainstream news organizations, left-wing politicians, and anti-Semites immediately latched onto and parroted claims by Palestinian officials claiming that Israel bombed the hospital, which resulted in the deaths of more than 500 people. However, Israel later confirmed that the explosion at the hospital was caused by a rocket that terrorists launched from inside Gaza that malfunctioned and hit the hospital.

Hezbollah joined the rest of the Islamic world in instantly blaming Israel for the attacks.

“Let tomorrow, Wednesday, be a day of unprecedented anger against the enemy and its crimes and against Biden’s visit to the Zionist entity to cover and protect this criminal entity,” the Islamic terrorist group said. “And let the message be clear that this is a day that comes after it on the path of resistance, victory, and retaliation for the oppressed from the oppressor.” (Read more from “Hezbollah Calls for ‘Day of Unprecedented Anger’ at Israel, U.S.; U.S. Issues Lebanon Travel Advisory” HERE)

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‘Israel Will Be Gone Soon,’ Iranian Official Says

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Israel “will be gone soon and the Palestinian nation will be victorious in the final battle,” a senior Iranian official said on Monday amid fresh attempts by the Islamic Republic to rally militant forces across the region against the Jewish state.

Israel’s destruction is certain, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said in public remarks as he hosted Hamas representatives in Tehran. Velayati urged Hamas leaders to continue their assault on Israel nearly a week after the Iranian-backed group conducted an unprecedented slaughter of nearly 1,500 Israeli citizens, according to a report in Tehran’s state-controlled media.

Iran’s coordination with Hamas, highlighted in Monday’s meeting, comes amid parallel efforts by top Iranian officials to rally Arab countries in the region against Israel. Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held talks with Tunisia on Monday and said the Islamic “resistance is fully ready to respond to Zionists’ warmongering.”

Iran’s role in galvanizing Arab nations against Israel threatens to ignite a broader Middle East conflict, particularly along Israel’s northern border where Hezbollah forces backed by Tehran have been steadily increasing their strikes on Israeli territory. It also serves as a test for the Biden administration as it works to prevent the Hamas-Israel conflict from spreading into a wider war that could entangle American forces. U.S. officials are said to be “increasingly anxious” about a full blown attack on Israel by surrounding Arab countries. (Read more from “‘Israel Will Be Gone Soon,’ Iranian Official Says” HERE)

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Iran Warns ‘Preemptive Action’ Against Israel Expected in Coming Hours by Resistance Front

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Iranian officials warned late Monday of possible “preemptive action” against Israel by the “resistance front” ahead of the Jewish nation’s imminent ground invasion into Gaza.

“The resistance front is capable of waging a long-term war with the enemy [Israel]… in the coming hours, we can expect a preemptive action by the resistance front,” Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a live broadcast to state TV.

Iran has denied any involvement in Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 which killed 1,400 people, however, Tehran has long backed Hamas and supported the plight of Palestinians since 1979.

“Leaders of the Resistance will not allow the Zionist regime to take any action in Gaza. … All options are open and we cannot be indifferent to the war crimes committed against the people of Gaza,” Amirabdollahian added, in reference to a meeting he had with Hezbollah leaders Saturday. (Read more from “Iran Warns ‘Preemptive Action’ Against Israel Expected in Coming Hours by Resistance Front” HERE)

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Israel War: Iran Seeks to Rally ‘All Arab and Islamic Countries’ to Back Palestinian Terrorists

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Iran wants “all Arab and Islamic countries” to unite against Israel in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attack that ignited a war in Gaza.

“Today, the most obvious issue before us is that all Arab and Islamic countries should agree on a single and clear position to support the rights of the Palestinian nation and the oppressed people of Gaza,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, according to Iranian media.

U.S. and British forces are moving into the eastern Mediterranean in a bid to deter Iran and its proxies, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken conducts his own diplomatic tour of the Middle East to support Israel and discourage a wider war. Iran has launched a diplomatic campaign by phone and in person to rally Middle East leaders against Israel, while Iran-backed terrorist organizations threaten to expand the conflict.

“We have come prepared for you outside Palestine, just as we were inside Palestine, and the events that unfolded in the Gaza Envelope shall be mirrored in other battlegrounds,” Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Hamza said Thursday, according to Iranian media. (Read more from “Israel War: Iran Seeks to Rally ‘All Arab and Islamic Countries’ to Back Palestinian Terrorists” HERE)

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