(USNewsBreak.com) – Tensions in the Middle East have remained heightened since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. US troops stationed in countries in the region have become subject to more than 100 attacks because the US supports Israel in the conflict. Now, US intelligence is warning the attacks could become more dire, and they haven’t ruled out one or more on the US mainland.
On January 10, POLITICO published an exclusive report detailing concerns about Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group. Four US officials spoke to the publication on the condition of anonymity and said US intelligence agencies are gathering data on the group. So far, the information seems to suggest that Hezbollah has plans to attack Americans.
BREAKING: U.S. officials assess that there’s a rising risk Lebanese Hezbollah militants will strike Americans in the Middle East — and even potentially hit inside the United States, four officials familiar with the intelligence told POLITICO. https://t.co/vsFoyhVfbL
— Breaking 4 News (@Breaking_4_News) January 11, 2024
The first hits would likely target those stationed in the Middle East — US troops and diplomatic figures — though officials didn’t rule out a potential attack on the US directly. The latter is “something to be worried about,” one of the officials said. None of those who spoke to POLITICO detailed what type of attacks Hezbollah could execute but said they could “draw on the capability they have,” referring to their globally scattered assets. Intelligence officials have already identified what they call “lone-wolf attacks” in the UK and the US.
If the worst should come to pass, it would likely draw President Joe Biden and his administration into the Middle Eastern conflict, especially with US troops targeted. That would pose a potential problem, especially since China and Russia each pose a national security threat and are drawing on the United States’ resources.
In the meantime, the Biden Administration has focused on preventing a wider-scale conflict from evolving out of the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip. It has no desire to involve US troops, either. Time will tell whether this holds true or ends up changing.
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