The United States wants to react to Iran’s attack, but there are few options, writes ‘s US correspondent Iida Tikka.
Iida TikkaYhdysvaltain correspondent
WASHINGTON. The US is still trying to prevent the escalation of war in the Middle East, but the means to do so are becoming less and less.
On Monday, the president Joe Biden messaged Israel Benjamin to Netanyahuthat he should not launch a ground attack on Lebanon. Israel still attacked.
On Tuesday, Iran launched a missile attack on Israel. It is the second major strike directly from Iran to Israel in just a few months.
Israel and the United States repelled the attack. The presidential administration vowed that there would be serious consequences for Iran from the attack.
– We have made it clear that this will have serious consequences, the national security advisor Jake Sullivan quoth.
The only problem is that the US options are running out. That in itself increases the risk of an escalation of the war.
The United States can respond to the actions of hostile states in a few different ways.
First, the United States can impose economic sanctions against a hostile state. The United States has enough leverage in the world that comprehensive economic sanctions can be imposed with the help of partner countries.
The only problem with Iran is that strict sanctions have already been imposed on the country. Nevertheless, Iran continues to support terrorist organizations and armed groups opposed to Israel and the United States. After the April attack on Israel, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran, which did not prevent yesterday’s attack.
Another option is to strike militarily, but indirectly, at allies or supporters of a hostile state, such as the armed groups that Iran supports.
After an Iranian-backed armed group killed three American soldiers in Jordan, the United States responded by striking Iranian-backed organizations in Iraq and Syria. The deterrence of such an attack will therefore not hold Iran back.
The third option is the one the US wants to avoid until the very end: a direct strike on Iran.
US Security Policy is based on the idea that a superpower supports and protects its allies who are in danger of being caught in the line of fire by a hostile state.
The idea is to act as a deterrent; if you side with an ally, you may find yourself dealing directly with the world’s leading military powers.
The problem is that deterrence is not credible if there are no consequences.
Israel and the United States do not have the same binding agreement to protect each other as, for example, NATO countries have with each other.
Iran seems to be counting on the US not responding to attacks that can be repelled.