American officials said that Iran had capitalized on unrest in Iraq, where protesters demonstrated this week in Basra. © Essam Al-Sudani/Reuters
New York Times: Iran Is Secretly Moving Missiles Into Iraq, U.S. Officials Say
WASHINGTON — Iran has used the continuing chaos in Iraq to build up a hidden arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq, part of a widening effort to try to intimidate the Middle East and assert its power, according to American intelligence and military officials.
The buildup comes as the United States has rebuilt its military presence in the Middle East to counter emerging threats to American interests, including attacks on oil tankers and facilities that intelligence officials have blamed on Iran. Since May, the Trump administration has sent roughly 14,000 additional troops to the region, primarily to staff Navy ships and missile defense systems.
But new intelligence about Iran’s stockpiling of missiles in Iraq is the latest sign that the Trump administration’s efforts to deter Tehran by increasing the American military presence in the Middle East has largely failed.
The missiles pose a threat to American allies and partners in the region, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, and could endanger American troops, the intelligence officials said.
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Update: Iran 'has been secretly stockpiling short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq to threaten US troops and allies' (Daily Mail)
WNU Editor: I see Iranian deployments and military operations as a response to the the impact that sanctions are having, and to divert the attention away from the growing unrest within Iran itself. But I do not think these Iranian actions are going to end sanctions, nor tone down the growing protest movement against the Iranian regime. The next step will be to escalate tensions by launching a military strike using their proxies in the region, and my gut tells me that this is what the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East are positioning themselves to be prepared for.
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