US troops on heightened alert after Iranian missile barrage

WASHINGTON (TND) — The U.S. is pushing Israel to move forward with restraint in how it responds to an unprecedented barrage of missiles being fired from Iran over the weekend that has ramped up concerns about a broader war breaking out in the Middle East.

The Pentagon is also preparing for new threats to American troops as one of the many potential aftershocks of the assault that the U.S. helped Israel fend off. Along with Jordan, the assistance of U.S. forces and American air defense systems helped Israel intercept 99% of the roughly 300 missiles that were launched from Iran.

President Joe Biden and other administration officials have been in frequent communication with Israel and other countries in the region in the days since hundreds of missiles were launched from Iran toward Israel in retaliation for the deaths of two senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leaders.

Administration officials have been trying to urge restraint in Israel’s response to the unprecedented attack, which burst a longstanding shadow war with Iranian proxies wide into the open. Tensions were already running high in the Middle East with Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas that has led to tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, and what comes next after Iran’s attempted strike is adding to the uncertainty.

The danger American troops are facing is likely to depend on how Israel decides to respond to Iran’s attack. U.S., European and some Middle Eastern leaders have been pressing Israel to exercise restraint in the response, while Israel’s military has already vowed to retaliate.

“We are weighing our steps. The launching of so many missiles, cruise missiles and drones toward Israeli territory will be responded to,” Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halevi told soldiers on Monday.

U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East have been on high alert in preparation for possible retaliation from Iran in the days since it helped blunt the missile barrage. Biden has also told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that U.S. forces will not participate in a retaliatory strike in another effort to soothe tensions through diplomatic means rather than military escalation.

“That's an issue that I think is a concern for Central Command and obviously for the administration, looking at those factors, that even if we don't give offensive support to Israel, will be deemed as tacit approval for what Israel does, regardless of what happens,” said Mark Chandler, former director of Defense Intelligence Agency's Middle East and Africa Center and professor of practice at Coastal Carolina University.

Exactly how much danger American forces are in may depend on what shape Israel’s response comes in and how much damage it causes. Pentagon and national security officials have said in the days following Iran’s attack that they are prepared for any scenario and the targeting of American troops.

“We are staying vigilant to exactly that potential threat, but we have not seen any attacks on U.S. troops or personnel in the region or our facilities,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday on “Meet the Press.” “But we're going to obviously watch that very, very closely.”

America has thousands of troops stationed across the Middle East in places like Iraq, Syria and in the Red Sea. More are expected to arrive in the coming days to start construction of a pier to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, which was already a dangerous mission amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Iran also has a history of using regional tensions as justification to launch strikes on American forces stationed in the Middle East. Dozens of attacks have been launched on troops in Iraq, Syria in Jordan in the months since Oct. 7. One strike killed three U.S. soldiers, which prompted retaliatory strikes ordered by Biden to deter Iran from going further.

Attacks on American troops are likely to take place through Iranian proxy groups throughout the Middle East rather than another direct attack Iran claims credit for. Despite sometimes-intense rhetoric from Iranian leadership about wanting direct conflict with America, that scenario would be too damaging to the country and its leadership structure for them to pursue it.

“That regime doesn't want to do anything that will cause it to lose power. That's the one saving grace, I think, from total escalation,” Chandler said.