In a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, questioned Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the United States' response to potential attacks by Iranian proxies.
Despite the urgency of the senator's inquiries, Austin's responses remained ambiguous.
Over the past month, U.S. positions in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 24 times by groups backed by Iran, according to Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. These attacks followed the U.S.'s bombing of two facilities in eastern Syria, which were being used by Iranian proxy militias and Tehrans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Despite these aggressive actions, attempts on the lives of U.S. service members have not decreased.
During the hearing, Senator Graham asked Austin, "Is it a red line for Iran to orchestrate an attack on our forces that crosses a red line in Syria or Iraq?" He further pressed the Defense Secretary, asking, "Can we tell the Iranians today, in case theyre watching, that if an American is killed in Syria or Iraq, were coming for you?" These questions were in response to President Joe Bidens emergency national security funding request.Austin's response was cut short by Graham, who continued to press for a clear stance on the issue. Currently, the U.S. has approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq and an additional 900 in Syria, assisting local partner militias in the ongoing campaign to defeat the Islamic State terrorist group.
Graham further questioned, "Can we say publicly to the families of the service members in Iraq and Syria that we will hit Iran if they try to kill an American through their proxies?" Austin's response was again interrupted by Graham, who expressed his wish for more clarity on the matter.The Pentagon's response to these attacks has primarily focused on defensive measures, including the deployment of air defense assets to bases throughout the Middle East threatened by Iran-backed groups. Austin did, however, indicate that a full-scale attack by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group in Lebanon, would be considered an escalation of the conflict.The Pentagon has reported minor injuries to twenty-one U.S. troops, all of whom have since returned to duty. While no U.S. military personnel deaths have been reported, it was acknowledged that a U.S. contractor suffered a heart attack during a false alarm while sheltering in place.Reports of two additional attacks surfaced on Tuesday, although these have yet to be confirmed. The Pentagon's count of attacks is also unclear, as it is unknown whether it includes only projectiles that made contact with a base or were intercepted by U.S. troops, or all attempts.Republican Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota later asked, "Why are we not striking back more forcefully? Why are we not delivering a resounding message to stop those strikes on our bases and on our troops?" Austin responded, "We maintain the right to respond at the place and time of our choosing, and weve said that, and were serious about that."
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