Pentagon officials say the army’s muscle movement is intended to warn Tehran of attacking American interests or workers in the days around the January 3 anniversary of the Trump administration’s assassination of the powerful leader of Ioran, Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
Meanwhile, defense secretary Christopher Miller on Wednesday ruled against an attempt to extend the carrier of the USS carrier Nimitz to the Gulf of Persia, sending him out of the area in a clear signal of decentralization to Iran , according to official defense chief.
The controversial messages could reveal divisions within the Pentagon, where a second senior defense official tells CNN that the current threat level from Iran is the biggest concern they have seen since Soleimani’s death. Officials are announcing new information that Iran and friendly militias in Iraq may be planning attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East. For example, Iran has been moving short-range ballistic missiles into Iraq, forcing the U.S. to inject additional weapons funds into the region.
But others in the Pentagon claim that the threat is exacerbated, with the first senior defense officer – who is directly involved in talks – telling CNN that ” one piece of mind proving ”suggests that an attack by Iran may be imminent.
President Donald Trump has removed some of the uncertainty, considering asking at a meeting in mid-November for weapons options he could use against Iran. He then threatened Iran after a December 21 attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad by senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on behalf of Iraqi militias attached to Tehran.
“Our embassy in Baghdad was hit on Sunday by several rockets,” Trump tweeted from aboard Air Force One after a White House meeting on Dec. 23 about Iran’s threats. “Three rockets did not launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN.”
Trump then offered Iran “some friendly health advice: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran accountable. Think it over.”
A defense officer tells CNN that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley “pays close attention to the situation. The military does not believe there is an attack nearby, but they are taking every precaution to make sure they stop Iran. while defending U.S. forces. “
The B-52 flight was the second flight this month that the Pentagon sent the most capable nuclear bombers to the area. It follows the Navy’s rare December 21 news that they had sent a nuclear-powered submarine through the Persian Gulf, along with a guided missile cruiser.
The U.S. Central Command, which monitors military activity in the Middle East, said in a statement that Wednesday’s B-52 flight was intended to reinforce U.S. military commitment to regional security and reveal special ability to quickly put a terrifying fighting power on short alert. ”
Before Miller recalled the USS Nimitz, which was about to leave the Gulf, CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth MacKenzie had been pushing to expand the use of war there, in what could have been the longest aircraft use in many years, the first chief defense officer told CNN .
This official raised concerns that some in government are painting the situation with Iran more secretive than it actually is, and that they are preoccupied with the potential for retaliatory attacks. with Iran to mark the anniversary of Soleimani’s murder.
After Soleimani was killed in Iraq by an American drone strike in January, Iran responded with a massive missile attack on U.S. military bases in the region.
Now, information gathered by the U.S. reveals a “possible imminent attack” by Iranian-backed militias on U.S. forces in Iraq, although there is no certainty, a defense official says tell CNN.
Despite the concern enough that additional protective measures have been taken for U.S. troops, this official and second defense officer tell CNN. Both declined to specify the steps being taken.
Three U.S. defense officials tell CNN that Iran has moved additional weapons into Iraq, including short-range ballistic missiles, an arsenal that officials could use to target American targets. to beat.
A second senior military official said U.S. intelligence reveals militia groups have been confronted by elements of Iran’s Quds Force, a touring military force previously led by Soleimani, adding later that the U.S. had evidence of a militia planning for complex attacks in Iraq that required Iranian support to be successful.
“There have been a number of alarming signs of progressive planning and preparedness for emerging attacks in Iraq aimed at U.S. and U.S. military interests,” a U.S. defense official said.
Officials confirm that no plans or preparations are being taken for any offensive action aimed at Iran and efforts to reassure U.S. troops in the area are about stopping attacks, not about arranging a preemptive strike.