Washington has been "stonewalling" its Gulf allies' requests for a replenishment of air defense missiles, Middle East Eye (MEE) reported, coinciding with intensifying Iranian attacks on US bases and assets across the region. "At least one Gulf state that has come under attack from Iran asked US officials about replenishing supplies that have been depleted since the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran, but was brushed off," a former US official familiar with the matter told MEE. The former official said a separate Gulf state "responded to US requests to use air bases in their country with enquiries about the US's commitment to their air defense systems," and added that Washington's Arab allies will "be left wanting if they expect new supplies of interceptors." read more
President Trump is open to backing militant groups who are willing to fight the Iranian government, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Among the groups Trump is considering supporting are Kurdish forces based in Iraq, who have thousands of troops along the Iran-Iraq border, an idea first raised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a White House meeting with the president, according to a US official speaking to Axios. read more
U.S. forces have launched military operations with Ecuador against "designated terrorist organizations" inside the South American country, Southern Command said Tuesday.
So far six U.S. service members have been killed in action, Trump has said at news conferences that America will suffer more the loss of more lives. read more
The US launched preemptive strikes against Iran after learning Israel was about to attack " and American troops in the region faced an imminent threat of retaliation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday. Rubio made the revelation on Capitol Hill, where he briefed a small group of congressional leaders on the joint US-Israel offensive. 'There absolutely was an imminent threat,' Rubio stated. 'And the imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked, and we believed they would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us, and we were not going to sit there and absorb a blow before we responded.' read more
The UK's ITV News reported on Tuesday that "since last year, weapons have been smuggled into Western Iran to arm thousands of Kurdish volunteers. They are expected to begin a ground operation within days." The outlet cited Kurdish sources who said the US and Israel have been asked to provide air support when the operations begin.
Congrats magat scum, you got what you voted for.