Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The US Sinking in the Middle East Quagmire

Written by Elijah J. Magnier:

The complexity and danger in the Middle East involving the United States and its allies, especially in Gaza, has skyrocketed, marking an unprecedented escalation in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. The situation worsened after the US carried out 85 missile strikes on targets inside Iraq, killing 16, and inside Syria, killing 7. In retaliation, the Iraqi resistance launched attacks on US positions in north-eastern Syria, a region controlled by the US and Kurdish militias, leaving sixdead and 28 wounded among the Kurdish forces. This is the first response to the American offensive, expected to intensify in the coming days. Despite America’s communication to Iran expressing its desire to avoid further escalation, its air and naval forces continue to hit targets associated with Iran’s allies. This strategy puts the US right where Tehran wants it to be, observing American involvement in Middle Eastern affairs from afar without causing direct casualties to Iran but inflicting considerable damage on the US.

Moreover, in the last twenty-four hours, American and British forces have carried out more than 300 strikes on sites in Sanaa, Saada and Hodeidah with the aim of ‘neutralising missiles aimed at the Red Sea’. Despite this, Ansar Allah Al-Houthi has vowed to continue attacking US and British warships. It has also rallied tribes and forces to maintain the Red Sea blockade of Israeli, US and British ships while waging additional battles to end the four-month siege of Gaza. As a result, the US-British offensive has neither deterred nor swayed Ansar Allah Al-Houthi from its goals. The show of military force and the results of these strikes have failed to achieve their intended goals and made the Red Sea a more contested battleground. This escalation has severely disrupted a significant segment of international trade from Asia to the Middle East and Europe, accounting for some 13 to 15 per cent of world trade.

The US missile strikes on Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) positions on the Syrian border in areas where ISIS is active have indeed had significant political repercussions in Baghdad. These actions have put Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani in a precarious position, forcing him to claim that American activities threaten Iraq’s security. At the same time, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein expressed his refusal to allow Iraq to become an arena for conflict between the US and Iran.