US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran Affairs, Victoria Taylor, confirmed that Washington is “concerned about all Iranian activities and threats” in the Middle East.
She added in an interview with Al-Hurra TV that these concerns were expressed by the United States to its partners, noting that Washington is doing everything possible to confront these threats and “make sure that we do everything in our power to support freedom of trade, the passage of ships through the Red Sea, and the protection of American forces.” And those working with them in the countries of the region.”
She said that the United States has recently engaged in “efforts not only to protect American forces, but to destabilize the activities of Iranian agents in Syria and Iraq, as well as the Houthis in Yemen.”
Taylor believes that the American strikes directed in Iraq and Syria have yielded results, as “we have not seen attacks on American forces in Iraq for a few weeks, which is a positive development, but the Houthi group is still attacking ships in the Red Sea, and we know that Iran supports and encourages these attacks.” .
She stated that what Washington clearly wants to convey to Iran is the necessity of “avoiding the expansion of the conflict, and Iran must put an end to its support for the Houthis and their agents in Iraq and Syria, which means stopping their support for terrorism through financing, arming, and equipping.”
Regarding Baghdad’s demands for the withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq, Taylor explained that “last August, there were negotiations with the Iraqi government, and we agreed to form a committee to study the role of the coalition,” noting that this matter was before the attacks led by the armed militias supported by Iran, and recently it was done. Conducting negotiations with the Iraqi government, as there is still a need to discuss the details at the expert level, and discuss the circumstances we face with regard to ISIS threats and the practical capabilities necessary to confront these threats.”
She stated that until now, “we are still studying how to transform the role of the coalition to confront the threat of ISIS, and how we can launch a security partnership with the Iraqi government.”
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State said, “Tehran provides support, equipment, and military training to the Houthis,” adding, “If Iran were serious about preventing the escalation of the conflict, it could take steps quickly to put an end to its support.”
She stated that the United States, along with its allies and partners, recently “directed focused defensive strikes, in order to undermine the Houthis’ ability to carry out these attacks.”
She stressed that Washington will continue to work with partners to “undermine the ability of Iran’s agents” to destabilize the Middle East, and this means continuing partnerships with countries in the region. “In Iraq, this means that we continue to work on building a full partnership with the Iraqi government.”
The US special envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, reported on Tuesday that activists from Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah are providing support inside Yemen to the Houthi rebels to launch their attacks against international shipping.
Lenderking told a Senate subcommittee that Iran is “preparing and facilitating” the Houthi attacks, which called for a military response from the United States and Britain.
Lenderking added, “Reliable public reports indicate that a large number of Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah activists support Houthi attacks from inside Yemen.”
He continued, “I cannot imagine that the Yemeni people want these Iranians in their country. This must stop.”
In December, the White House accused Iran of being “largely involved” in planning the attacks that the Houthis say they are launching in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Lenderking, who has dealt with the Houthis since President Joe Biden arrived at the White House, acknowledged that the rebels had not been deterred.
The American envoy considered that the Houthis’ continued attacks “and their public statement that they will not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza is an indication that, unfortunately, we have not yet reached the point where they intend to retreat.”
The US aerial bombardment campaign in Yemen raised doubts about its effectiveness among some senators from the Democratic Party, to which Biden belongs.
Chris Murphy, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East, agreed that the United States has an “obligation to respond” to attacks against ships, but added, “I have concerns about effectiveness.”
He pointed out that the American and British raids targeted a number of sites that had previously been targeted by a massive air campaign led by Saudi Arabia in the period between 2015 and 2022.
Murphy asked, “If 23,000 air strikes launched by the Saudis were ineffective in changing course militarily and restoring deterrence, how can we be confident that our air strike campaign will have a different outcome?”
The Houthis, who control the most populated areas in Yemen, had previously announced the killing of 17 fighters in Western strikes that targeted their military facilities.
The Houthi attacks had a significant impact on traffic through shipping lines in the Red Sea, forcing some companies to change their routes.
Egypt said last week that Suez Canal revenues fell by up to 50 percent this year.
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2024-02-29 03:37:40
