Middle East

A top U.S. military general said recently that the threat of a wider war in the Middle East is “somewhat” lower than it was last week.

“How Iran responds will dictate how Israel responds, which will dictate whether there is going to be a broader conflict or not,” U.S. Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown told Reuters earlier this week.

So far, Iran has only responded to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh with attacks by his former terrorist group and Hezbollah. Despite threats by Tehran, the country has yet to launch a direct attack on Israel since then.

Despite this period of relative calm, the U.S. military isn’t taking any chances. This week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group to the Middle East while also ordering the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group, pictured above, to stay in the volatile region.

“As we have been from the start, we remain intently focused on de-escalating tensions in the Middle East while also remaining focused on securing a ceasefire as part of a hostage deal to bring all of the hostages home and to end the war in Gaza,” U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday at the Pentagon.

In Iraq and neighboring Syria, where American troops killed a senior terrorist leader late last week, the U.S. military is on guard. While fighting ISIS is the primary mission of the approximately 3,400 combined American forces in those two countries, the U.S. military is also staying vigilant in the wake of recent attacks by Iran-backed terrorist proxy groups.

“There have definitely been actions by Iranian backed groups in Iraq and Syria as it relates to attempting to conduct rocket attacks against Israel, largely unsuccessful, but, you know, we’ve seen that,” Ryder said. “We’ve also seen those groups attack U.S. forces that are in Iraq and Syria in support of the enduring defeat of ISIS’s mission.

“So, you know, what they may do in the future, I can’t predict,” Ryder continued. “But we take that threat seriously, and we’ll continue in the — you know, just like we’re going to continue to support the defense of Israel, we will stay very focused on ensuring that our forces are protected as well. And we won’t tolerate any attacks against our forces.”

Please pray for all American troops serving in the Middle East, as well as their families here at home.

Europe

An American-made F-16 fighter jet crashed during a Russian bombardment of Ukraine on Monday, according to a Thursday report by CNN. Kyiv said that its F-16 pilot, Oleksiy Mes, was killed while “repelling the biggest ever aerial attack” against Ukraine.

“The death of the pilot is a major blow for Ukraine,” the CNN report added. “The first F-16s only arrived in the country earlier this month and (Mes) was one of the few pilots trained to fly them.”

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is denying accusations from Moscow that the U.S. military is supporting Ukraine’s ongoing incursion into the Kursk region of western Russia.

“We did not have advance notification of Ukraine’s intent and operations to go into Kursk,” Ryder said on Tuesday.

Russia has warned the United States of “severe consequences” over Ukraine’s counterattack in Kursk, which is home to a Russian nuclear plant that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said this week is in danger while surrounded by military activity.

“We are saying here that this nuclear power plant … is within range of a potential artillery strike, which means that the danger exists,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told CNBC on Thursday.

The IAEA added that Russia has repeatedly put Ukrainian nuclear plants at risk since invading its neighbor in February 2022.

“Russian attacks pose a significant risk to the stable operation of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and the safety of millions of people,” the organization said in a statement.

Russia has also repeatedly threatened nuclear war against any nation that provides military support for Ukraine, including the United States.

“Again, we’re not at war with Russia. We’re not seeking conflict with Russia,” Ryder said. “We are simply supporting a democratic nation who was invaded two and a half years ago and enabling them to protect themselves.”

Coming Home

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane recently returned to American shores after 117 days at sea.

Welcome home, heroes! Thank you for helping keep our country safe.

 

Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is the author of the newly released I Have Your Back, Be Bold and co-author of Three Wise Men, Brothers Forever, 8 Seconds of Courage and Fire in My Eyes. Follow Tom on X @TSileo and The Stream at @Streamdotorg.