Blinken, Austin warns of response if US personnel attacked in Mideast
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – USSecretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday that the United States will respond if American personnel or armed forces come under attack as a result of the Israel-Hamas war.
“We don’t want to see our forces or our personnel come under fire. But if that happens, we’re ready for it,” Blinken said.
For his part, Austin said, “What we’re seeing is a prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region.” Within the framework of the right to self-defense, “we won’t hesitate to take the appropriate action.”
This comes as Israeli Defense Force (IDF) continues to carry out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in retaliation to a Hamas attack on Oct. 5.
On early Sunday, the IDF also targeted the Damascus and Aleppo airports in Syria, knocking them out of service.
During the past few days, the US military bases in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen were targeted by drones and a barrage of rockets. All of attacks are believed to have been carried out by Iran proxies in the region: the Houthis in Yemen, and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Blinken said he expects “escalation by Iranian proxies directed against our forces, directed against our personnel.… We are taking steps to make sure that we can effectively defend our people and respond decisively if we need to.”