Biden Adviser Warns ‘Elevated Risk’ Of Broader Middle East Conflict

A top aide to President Joe Biden warned of an “elevated risk” that the conflict in the Middle East could spread across the region as Israel fights Hamas in the Gaza Strip in response to deadly terrorist attacks and the U.S. military trades fire with Iranian-backed groups in nearby Syria.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan — who not long ago touted a quiet Middle East — made the comment on Sunday after being asked by CBS “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan if he believes Iran has been deterred.

“What I believe is that the United States will follow through on what we say we’re going to do. We said that if our troops were attacked, we would respond, we responded,” Sullivan said on CBS.

“If they’re attacked again, we will respond again,” he added. “And we are vigilant, because we are seeing elevated threats against our forces throughout the region, and an elevated risk of this conflict spreading to other parts of the region. We are doing everything in our power to deter and prevent that. But I’m not going to predict what the future brings, other than to say that if we are attacked, we will respond.”

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U.S. military forces conducted “self-defense” strikes on two facilities in Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups in response to attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced last week.

Though Austin said the strikes were unrelated to the war in the Gaza Strip, Iran has a long history of supporting Hamas. The group conducted terrorist attacks in Israel earlier this month that killed an estimated 1,400-plus people, including 33 Americans, and resulted in more than 200 hostages being taken. In addition, Lebanon’s Hezbollah — another group backed by Iran — has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces.

During a speech to the United Nations last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said his country does “not welcome the expansion of the war in the region” but warned that the United States “will not be spared” from the conflict if the fighting in Gaza did not cease.

Sullivan said the U.S. has taken the stance that Israel “has a right to defend itself” against terrorist attacks and emphasized that U.S. arms support is predicated on the assurance that weapons are used in accordance with the “law of armed conflict.” He also noted Biden and his team are “working extremely hard” to get the hostages out.