US adds forces in MidEast in case Israel bites off more than it can chew

(Originally published Sept. 30 in “What in the World“) The U.S. is further beefing up its forces in the Middle East as Israel expands its war against more of the proxies in Iran’s “axis of resistance.”

Israel’s airstrikes Friday in suburban Beirut killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, while over the weekend it also launched attacks against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Israel’s airstrikes Monday expanded north into central Beirut. And Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza continue. The New York Times and others keep warning that this risks turning into “all-out war.”

As the White House publicly wrings its hands over Israel’s rejection of its ceasefire proposals, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin responded by ordering the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group to remain in the Persian Gulf, rather than steam home with the arrival in the Mediterranean of the USS Harry Truman carrier group. The Pentagon also announced that it’s sending additional air support to the region. Because nothing discourages aggression like providing a combatant with the world’s most powerful backstop.