Immediately following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Israel’s ruthless response to the Gaza population instilled fear that the conflict would soon spread throughout the region. These concerns were justified when the US launched attacks on Iran-backed armed groups operating in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq under the pretext of acting in the Palestinians’ name. While the United States and the United Kingdom bombed the de facto Houthi rulers of Yemen last month in retaliation for their blockade of the Red Sea in support of Gaza, Washington struck about 85 targets in Iraq and Syria on Friday and Saturday. Following the death of three US military personnel at a base in Jordan on January 28 due to an Iraqi drone attack, the US claims it is targeting organizations associated with Iran’s “Axis of Resistance.” The Biden administration was under pressure to react, especially from hard-line Republicans who wanted to portray the US president as being “weak” during an election year. As a result, the White House has launched yet another military expedition in the Middle East with the foreboding statement that “our response The White House is portraying the ongoing conflict as an effort to topple the US-led “rules-based order” in the Middle East by means of nefarious armed groups funded by Iran. That’s not really a convincing description. After all, the West’s unwavering support for Israel while it murders Palestinian civilians is what lies at the heart of these hostilities. In a show of support for Israel, the West sent swift military assistance following the events of October 7. The harsh truth is that Palestinian lives have received little consideration from Western governments. The US and UK acted swiftly to “protect” international shipping in the Red Sea, but they do nothing to stop Israel from killing thousands of Palestinian children.Furthermore, the majority of Muslim nations have remained silent in the wake of the Gaza massacre, infuriating many who argue that armed groups in the region are merely responding to the carnage because more “responsible” states have chosen not to intervene. The US and its allies must rein in Israel and put an immediate end to its genocidal war in Gaza if they truly want the attacks on their forces to stop. If not, there will only be the Western states to blame when the “gates of hell” open in the Middle East, as some claim they have already done.
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