Iran is surrounded by U.S. forces of all sides, Washington is ready for precautionary or retaliatory military actions – Analysts
North Press Agency
The U.S. strike against the commander of Quds Force in the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, general Qasem Soleimani and other leaders and officers of the Popular Mobilization Forces PMF near Baghdad airport, at dawn on Friday made analyzes, some of which suggested the intensification of the escalation at a degree of more violent between Tehran and Washington, some opinions expected an Iranian retaliation, and others expected U.S. readiness to launch upcoming precautionary strikes, while some went on to suggest that Iran wouldn't show any response.
Soon the news of Soleimani's death spread, so that the tag bearing his name on Twitter came with the "World War III". As the U.S. insists on a policy of "de- escalation" according to its foreign minister, Iran, and through prominent leaders and its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed to respond.
The recent U.S. escalation, which the U.S. Department of Defense described as a "decisive defense action", came two days after the attack by the supporters of PMF on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad followed U.S. air strikes on bases of the militia of Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, which in turn, have targeted a camp of the Iraqi army included U.S. soldiers, where a U.S. citizen were killed.
"The US presence is important for the Iranian project"
The Syrian political analyst, Abdulmasih al-Shami links what he described as "the assassination of the leaders of the armed groups from al-Baghdadi to Soleimani to the deputy leader of the Popular Mobilization" with the preliminary steps towards the stage of the "political settlements". While stressing that Iran won't make any real or major reaction towards the U.S., because the American presence, according to him, is important for the Iranian project in the region, "it gives it all the justifications for the expansion and interference in the affairs of the neighboring countries.”
He confirmed that the Arab attitudes won't go beyond calls for "restraint", at the same time the Arab governments will fear any Iranian retaliation against them, according to him.
"Repercussions for the U.S. presence in the region"
The head of the "One Nation Center for Intellectual and Strategic Studies", Fadi al-Sayed went on to suggest "grave repercussions for the U.S.", adding: "The U.S. assassination of Soleimani shows its ignorance of his personal importance in the region.”
Al-Sayed stressed the response will be at a minimum by "removing the U.S. forces in Iraq in particular and in the region in general,” saying: "the Arab and Islamic peoples won't bear any U.S. military presence in the region.”
Al-Sayed described the United States as the "global head of terrorism", adding that, "killing a figure such as Soleimani, who enjoys wide popularity in the Islamic Republic and a military figure affiliated with an official military establishment in Iran, shows the level of this terrorism practiced by the United States against the Arab and Islamic peoples.”
"Iran is surrounded by U.S. forces of all sides"
As for Dr. Gabriel Soma, a member of the advisory board of the U.S. President Donald Trump is likely that Iran and with its regional allies will launch an attack in Iraq, adding: "There is the Iraqi Popular Mobilization and Badr Organization, which are carrying out operations against U.S. forces in Iraq, and there are the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.” He suggested the possibility that Iran may carry out attacks on oil installations in the Gulf, "particularly in Saudi Arabia.”
"The raid will undoubtedly increase the tension in the Middle East between Tehran and Washington after several months of attacks on ships in the Gulf, the hijacking of ships, the raids carried out by Iran against Saudi Arabia, and threats throughout the Middle East,” Soma asserted.
Soma stressed that Iran is surrounded by the U.S. forces present in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE, adding that, "the United States is ready to take any precautionary or retaliatory military actions against Iran, if the U.S. finds that Iran is about to take a military action.”
Dr. Gabriel Soma doesn't expect any Arab stance in this field, without denying the issuing of statements by Arab countries, but he believes that, "the Arab League does nothing as it should.”