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A barrage of U.S., coalition and militant attacks in the Middle East over the last five days are compounding U.S. fears that Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza could expand, as massive military strikes failed to stall the assault on Red Sea shipping by Yemen-based Houthis.
Even as the U.S. and allies pummeled more than two dozen Iran-backed Houthi locations on Friday in retaliation for attacks on ships, the Houthis have continued their maritime assaults. And Tehran struck sites in Iraq and Syria, claiming to target an Israeli “spy headquarters,” then followed that Tuesday with reported missile and drone attacks in Pakistan.
The chaotic wave of attacks and reprisals involving the United States, its allies and foes suggested not only that last week’s assault had failed to deter the Houthis, but that the broader regional war that the U.S. has spent months trying to avoid was becoming closer to reality. And underscoring the gravity of the roiling situation, the Biden administration is expected to announce plans to redesignate the Houthis as global terrorists, according to people familiar with the decision who requested anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of its announcement.
Iran bombed Iraq and Pakistan. Pakistan already bombed Iran. Yemen insurgents are attacking shipping lanes, Israel is bombing Lebanon. It’s already a regional war.
Pakistan is not in the middle east. The targeting of the rebels in Balochistan by Iran is completely unrelated to the goings on in the middle east.
You also failed to include Israel bombing targets in Lebanon and Syria while carrying out a genocide in Gaza, which is wholly within the middle east.
I think it’s misguided to ignore the Pakistan strikes just because Pakistan isn’t technically in the Middle East. Pakistan is only 200 miles from Oman across the sea. I don’t think it’s a coincidence they struck Pakistan right after doing so in Iran and Syria.
Please tell me how the separatist movement in Balochistan is related to Syria.
It’s not directly, but it signals there is a new defense calculus in Tehran. It’s one thing to perform strikes in Syria, an ally, and against the Kurds that are regularly walked on. It’s another thing entirely that they’re willing to strike a nuclear power which to me indicates that they will be more assertive going forward. That posture will have real effects for nations in the Middle East.
You also failed to include Jordan bombing Syria… hot off the press.
Not to mention Syria killing bombing their own people and Turkey bombing “targets” in Syria and Iraq.
Sure. Just pointing out how a regional war doesn’t extend to the Indian subcontinent.
Do you have a point or did you just want to write a comment?
You said a regional war. Pakistan is not in the region.
Pakistan is only 200 miles from Oman by the sea. It’s absolutely relevant if not the textbook definition of Middle East.
Oh wonder how Ethiopia will feel learning they’re in the middle east.
Or Greece for that matter, given that Crete is approximately 200 miles from Egypt.
Now you’re putting words in my mouth. If Ethiopia was hypothetically attacked by Iran I’d also look at that strike in the context of what is also going on in the greater region.
No, you argued that Pakistan is in the middle east based on a distance from Oman.
You can’t pick and choose what falls in the middle east or not based on who attacked whom. By that argument, the US is in the middle east because they were attacked by Saudis on 9/11.
No I didn’t, I pointed out its close proximity to the Middle East. All I’m saying is I don’t think you should discount it just because it falls on the wrong side of a dotted line.
Or maybe the relevant region is bigger, if Iran’s involved in both the battles to its west and its east?
Well please tell me how a separatist movement in Pakistan is related to what’s going on in Syria.
This is not something like the US expanding the Vietnam war into Cambodia. This would be like the US expanding the Vietnam war into India.