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As per recent reports, commanders within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran, a group recognized as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, have reportedly sought shelter in Iraq and Syria. This development comes amidst repeated leaks from the Biden administration concerning alleged plans to strike back at those responsible for the deaths of three American soldiers and injuring dozens more.
The planned series of strikes approved by Biden officials, targeting Iranian personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria, were confirmed to CBS News. In response to this news, Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin noted that all IRGC commanders had already vacated Syria and gone into hiding, leaving their bases deserted.
There was criticism of the Pentagon’s approach, as it is unusual to reveal so much if the objective was to maintain an element of surprise. Furthermore, the Biden administration has been downplaying Iran’s involvement in over 160 terrorist attacks against U.S. forces in the region in the past few months, stating to Politico that they do not believe Tehran has full command over the terrorist groups it funds.
Norman Roule, a policy expert, countered by saying that complete control is irrelevant as Tehran has the capacity to cut off weapons to militias and likely halt major groups that rely on Tehran for significant financial and political support.
Interestingly, the Biden administration has pointed fingers at Israel for the attacks on U.S. forces by Iranian-backed terrorist groups. They suggested that if Israel ceased its efforts to eliminate Hamas terrorists within Gaza, there would be a tactical pause in the region by all Iran-backed groups.
When asked about the IRGC commanders fleeing back to Iran to avoid U.S. forces, Secretary of State Lloyd Austin refused to speculate but assured that the U.S. would have a multi-tiered response and the ability to respond at different times depending on the situation.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) criticized the Biden administration for tipping off Iran and its terrorist groups about the U.S. Military’s planned response. He described it as a reflection of Biden’s policy of fear and appeasement, adding that the only solution to the threat was to directly target Iran’s terrorist forces throughout the region and in Iran itself.
