Iran is increasing its use of militia proxy groups to attack US forces in Syria and Iraq. This comes after several months of a lull in such attacks. Iranian-backed militias had increased attacks after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.Iranian media is taking credit for an attack in Syria on July 26. “Resistance groups have reportedly targeted a US military base with missiles in Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria,” Iran’s IRNA said.

In January, the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah killed three US soldiers in an attack on Jordan. The group recently also threatened the US and Saudi Arabia, claiming it could escalate attacks due to the war in Gaza. At the same time, the Houthis did escalate, targeting Tel Aviv on July 19. Now, Iran is operationalizing its militias in Syria to increase attacks on the US. This is all part of a well-planned and orchestrated attempt by Iran to exert its own maximum pressure on the US and to open up a multiple-front war against Israel. Pro-Iran media claimed that “the resistance fighters [Iranian-backed militias] targeted the US base in the Koniko gas field in Syria,” according to Al Mayadeen. IRNA in Iran published the same report. “The missile attack hit the military base and the sound of explosions were heard in the nearby villages,” IRNA noted.  The report also claimed the US had retaliated. Iran also has used its militias in Iraq to begin new attacks on US forces in Iraq. There was an attack targeting US forces at Asad base in Iraq on July 24. It is one of two recent attacks in Iraq that illustrate Iran has ordered its militias to return to targeting the US.

“Regional resistance groups have repeatedly targeted US and Israeli interests in the region since the onset of the US-backed Israeli war on the Gaza Strip last October,” IRNA noted.

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