Associated Press: The U.S. Prepares for Possible Retaliatory Attacks by the Islamic Republic

The Associated Press reported on the implications of the attack attributed to Israel on the Iranian consulate building in Syria, stating that while the United States denied any involvement or knowledge of the airstrike shortly after it occurred, there remains a possibility that the Iranian government may carry out retaliatory attacks against U.S. interests. General Alexus Grynkewich, the senior U.S. Air Force commander in the Middle East, said on Wednesday in Washington that Iran's claims of U.S. responsibility for the Israeli attack could end the suspension of attacks by Iranian-affiliated militants against American forces. The Iraqi militia Kata'ib Hezbollah, aligned with the Islamic Republic and involved in dozens of attacks against U.S. forces, announced the suspension of its attacks last January. General Grynkewich emphasized that he currently sees no specific threat to U.S. forces, but he expressed concern about potential dangers due to Iranian rhetoric regarding the U.S. He stated that the U.S. is closely monitoring what the Islamic Republic says and does to assess how Iran may respond. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said after the recent attack on the Iranian consulate building in Syria that the Biden administration sent a message to the Islamic Republic indicating that it not only had no role in the incident but was also unaware of it. According to Miller, this message was 'very clear.' Analysts say that if Israeli attacks on its enemies throughout the region, including strikes against Iranian security elements and leaders, deepen regional tensions, it is uncertain whether the U.S., Israel's main ally, can avoid getting involved in broader regional conflicts. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesperson, stated on Tuesday that the U.S. assesses Israel to be responsible for the attack. Several Iranian officials have held the U.S. accountable for the airstrike on Monday against the headquarters of senior Quds Force commanders at the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of several senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria and Lebanon, as well as a senior Hezbollah officer. Charles Lister, the Syria program director at the Middle East Institute, noted that if the Iranian government and its proxy forces seek revenge, U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq will be targets of such attacks. He stated, 'What the Iranians [Islamic Republic] have always done in response to Israeli attacks for years is not to strike at Israelis, but at Americans.' Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war last October, U.S. forces at bases in Iraq and Syria have been targeted in over 150 attacks by Iranian-backed militants. In a retaliatory move, the U.S. targeted over 85 sites in seven locations in Iraq and Syria, including command and control centers, drone bases, munitions, and other facilities related to militants or the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The deployed unit managing the Islamic Republic's relations with regional militias and their armament was also targeted in these strikes. Since then, no attacks on U.S. forces in the region have been reported. Miller stated after the attack in Damascus that the U.S. is 'always concerned about anything that escalates tensions.' He added that one of the Biden administration's goals since mid-October has been to prevent the escalation of conflict while recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against enemies that vow to destroy it.