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According to Politico, which cited informed officials, the White House is concerned that the crisis in Gaza may spread to other parts of the Middle East and is planning a possible US reaction if that happens.
Internal discussions are taking place in US President Joe Biden’s administration about scenarios that might see Washington pushed into a massive battle in the region, the site reported in an article on Thursday.
According to sources, including a top Biden administration official, the possibility of a wider conflict in the Middle East is growing.
The recent actions “have convinced some in the administration that the war in Gaza has officially escalated far beyond the strip’s borders,” Politico reported.
These events included a US drone strike in Baghdad that killed Iraqi militia leader Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, the killing of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri in an Israeli UAV attack in the Lebanese capital Beirut, and twin explosions in Iran that claimed 84 lives and wounded almost 300 people.
According to authorities, the US military is planning to retaliate against Houthi fighters who have been targeting commercial ships off Yemen’s coast in reaction to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. “From our perspective, the most concerning possibility is that the Houthis will sink a ship.” “What happens then?” one of the sources said.
The intelligence community is attempting to anticipate and counter local militia attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria. It is also investigating if the Houthis will carry out similar strikes, according to the article.
According to officials, such contingency planning is common during times of heightened tension in the Middle East. However, according to orders from the highest levels of government, this activity has increased this week.
Rising Middle East tensions, according to Politico, are “dangerous not only for regional security, but also for Biden’s re-election chances.”” The president, who had planned to campaign on domestic themes, instead “ends his first term as the West’s champion for Ukraine’s defence and a key enabler of Israel’s retaliation against Hamas,” the statement added.