Former CENTCOM leader urges U.S. to respond militarily to Iran
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The U.S. needs to work diplomatically to reduce the tension in the Middle East but it should be ready militarily, Washington Examiner said on Wednesday, citing a former U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander.
Gen. Joseph Votel, former CENTCOM leader, told the Washington Examiner that “There are people that we have relationships with that ought to be communicating very, very clearly to them that we recognize they are responsible for these groups and that they will be held accountable for their actions.”
“We need to work in the information space and make sure we tie all this very clearly back to the Iranians, and then we need to be prepared to act in the military space if that is what’s called for,” Votel added.
The U.S. diplomat said that Iran stands behind” the Houthi attacks against commercial vessels, emphasizing that “They are getting most of their equipment, certainly these UAVs and missile systems and assistance and advice and everything, from Iran.”
Iran has long attempted to establish a “land bridge” from Iran across Iraq and Syria to Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea, according to Votel.
The U.S. forces have launched strikes against the facilities used by Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq, but have not responded to the repeated Houthi attacks.
On Dec. 14, the Pentagon announced that Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria have launched 97 attacks against U.S. bases in the region since Oct. 17.
The Houthis, which control vast amounts of territory in Yemen after years of war, have since last month fired drones and missiles at international vessels sailing through the Red Sea, attacks it says respond to Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip.
“We have to strike back at the Houthis and get this behavior back in control,” Votel added.