Iranian-backed militias and proxies are planning to attack U.S. bases in the Middle East following the bombings of Iran's nuclear facilities, The New York Times reported.
Citing U.S. officials, the Times reported Sunday that U.S. military and intelligence officials had detected signs that Iran-backed groups were preparing to attack bases in Iraq, and possibly Syria, in response to the bombings in Iran.
Iraqi officials were working to prevent militia action, one U.S. official said.
The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, directly joining Israel's war aimed at decapitating Iran's nuclear program.
More than 40,000 U.S. military personnel and civilians are on bases and warships in the Middle East. U.S. installations in Iraq included Al-Asad and Erbil air bases.
NDTV reported Monday that Iran's proxy network has been weakened by Israel and U.S. forces in recent years. Iran's Lebanon-based proxy, which has suffered several major losses during the Israel Hamas conflict, has indicated it would not join the latest fight.
Shortly after Sunday's attack, which targeted the country's Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear sites, President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran and its proxies that any retaliation against the U.S. for its airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites "will be met with force far greater."
However, Iran vowed swift retaliation. "Every American citizen or military personnel in the region is now a target," a commentator on Iranian state media said, The Washington Post reported.
Before the U.S. air strikes on Iran, Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq prepared mass demonstrations against Israel and warned of possible attacks on American positions as tensions escalated across the region amid Israel's ongoing conflict with Iran, Breitbart reported.
Iran's Shiite proxy groups in Iraq denounced Israeli military actions and pressured Baghdad to prevent Israeli aircraft from using Iraqi airspace to strike Iran. The same militias, loyal to Tehran, also threatened American forces stationed in the country.
The State Department on Sunday issued a Worldwide Caution Security Alert advising U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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