The current conflicts in the Middle East are so dangerous that you would have to go back more than 50 years to find a more dangerous time for the region, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Monday.
Mr Blinken’s assessment of escalating tensions in the region came after a weekend drone attack by Iran-backed militants on a US military outpost in Jordan that killed three Army soldiers and injured 40 others.
“I think it’s really important to recognize that we’re going through an incredibly volatile time in the Middle East,” Blinken said. told reporters At a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
“I would argue that since at least 1973, and probably before that, we have not seen a situation as dangerous as the one we are currently facing across this region,” he said, referring to the two-week Yom Kippur. he added. A war in which Israel repelled a surprise attack launched by Egyptian, Syrian, Saudi, Moroccan, and Cuban forces on the holiest day of the year in Judaism.
“And that is the environment in which we operate, and of course it was precipitated by the horrific attack on October 7 by Hamas against innocent men, women and children,” Blinken said.
The Secretary of State’s warning stands in stark contrast to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s erroneous analysis in a Foreign Policy magazine essay written just before Hamas’ attack on the Jewish state on October 7, 2023. It is true.
“To be sure, the Middle East remains beset by persistent challenges, but the region is quieter than it has been in decades,” Sullivan said in part of an essay published after Hamas’ attack on Israel. .
This line has been removed from the online version of the article, which now includes an editor’s note explaining that the article has been “updated to address Hamas attacks on Israel that occurred after the print version of the article was printed.” was included.
“The situation between Israel and Palestine is tense, especially in the West Bank, but in the face of serious friction, we have de-escalated the crisis in the Gaza Strip and restored direct diplomacy between the parties after a long absence. ” Sullivan wrote in another text. This is an edited version of an online article.
When the 80-year-old Biden took office as president, a senior administration official claimed in an old print edition that “U.S. forces are regularly attacked in Iraq and Syria,” later adding, “Such attacks are at least as likely as they are now.” However, it has almost stopped,” he added.
Israel’s declaration of war on Hamas sparked a wave of attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East by Iranian-backed extremist groups.
Since Oct. 17, 2023, the Pentagon has recorded 165 attacks against U.S. service members in the region, including 66 in Iraq, 98 in Syria, and Sunday’s deadly attack in Jordan. be.
Approximately 80 U.S. military personnel were injured in the attack.
