On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the new US B-52 bomber deployment to the Middle East wouldn’t deter Iran as Iranian officials are vowing there will be a response to Israel’s October 26 attack on Iranian territory.
The US heavy bombers arrived in the region on Saturday as part of a deployment meant as a threat to Iran. The Pentagon said the bombers and other US military assets were being sent to the region to “defend” Israel.
When asked about the US deployment, Baghaei said, “We have always believed that the presence of America in the region is a destabilizing presence” and added that it “will not deter [Iran’s] resolve to defend itself.”
According to media reports, Iran is planning a major attack on Israel that may be launched from Iraqi territory. Publicly, Iranian officials are saying a response is inevitable, and Baghaei said it will be “definite and decisive.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian suggested on Sunday that Iran would soften its attack on Israel if a ceasefire were reached in Gaza and Lebanon, but there’s no sign the Israelis are thinking about ending the slaughter. Israel has also ramped up attacks on Syria in recent days.
On top of the US bombers being sent to the Middle East, the Pentagon said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also ordered the deployment of additional US Navy destroyers, a fighter squadron, and tanker aircraft. The US also has a THAAD missile defense system and about 100 troops in Israel. If Iran decides to launch a major attack on Israel, it could also target US assets since the US is vowing to defend Israel.
Israel launched airstrikes against military targets in Iran on October 26 in retaliation for the October 1 Iranian missile barrage that was fired into Israel in response to a string of Israeli escalations and assassinations in the region. The Israeli attack killed four Iranian soldiers and one civilian and did some damage to Iranian air defenses, but the extent is unclear.
