As US jets pound Iran’s proxies in Iraq and Yemen, F-16 sales to Ankara help NATO grow
(Originally published Jan. 24 in “What in the World“) The U.S. launched airstrikes Tuesday against Iran-backed militias in Iraq in retaliation for the weekend attacks against American forces at Ain al-Asad airbase.
The airstrikes were aimed at the Kataib Hezbollah militia group and other groups backed by Tehran. The militias have started calling themselves the “Axis of Resistance” and claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack on al-Asad, the latest in roughly 150 attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since Israel invaded Gaza in late-October. Of the 17 missiles fired by militants, two managed to get through the base’s missile defenses.
A second French frigate has joined the coalition naval forces in the Red Sea. The Alsace joins the Languedoc, both of which are equipped with Aster anti-missile missiles, the same type of system used in the British Navy but known as the Sea Viper. France has joined the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian defending commercial shipping against attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, but isn’t taking part in the air strikes by the U.S. and Britain against Houthis on the ground in Yemen.
As war spreads from Gaza across Syria, Iraq and Yemen, an undeclared war is also simmering on Israel’s border with Lebanon with another Iranian proxy, Hezbollah.
Iranian imports, combined with fresh supplies of missiles from North Korea, are allowing Russia to overwhelm Ukraine’s dwindling air-defense systems with aerial barrages of Ukrainian cities.
Turkey has, meanwhile, given its approval to Sweden’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after blocking it for 20 months. Sweden now only needs the okay from Hungary to follow fellow Nordic nation Finland into the alliance as its 32nd member nation. Turkey had blocked Sweden’s membership, which requires the unanimous approval of all existing NATO members, until Sweden toughened its tolerance of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. Stockholm placated Turkey’s concerns by passing a counterterrorism law and easing arms sales to Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also managed to wring an F-16 fighter jet sale out of Washington in the bargain. Twist our rubber arm.