Even though the U.S. conducted strikes against Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq on Christmas Day, author and former CIA official Fred Fleitz told Newsmax on Tuesday that Israel has done a better job than the Biden administration at sending a message to Iran through military force.
On Monday, an airstrike by Israel's military in Damascus, Syria, reportedly killed Seyed Razi Mousavi, a senior adviser to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Instead of taking on a target that directly impacts Iran like Israel did, the U.S. military hit three facilities used by Iranian proxies Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq.
"They're too little too late," Fleitz told "Wake Up America" about the U.S. strikes. "I'm glad to see that Hezbollah troops or officials were targeted. They are an Iranian proxy. But compare what the U.S. did with what Israel did. Israel killed an Iranian commander. These Hezbollah people are not Iranians; they are Iranian-backed militias.
"But a senior [Iranian] commander was killed in Syria after an Israeli airstrike, and I think the Israelis are much more particular about making sure that they make Iran pay [with] their airstrikes."
Iran has been using its proxies in Iraq and Syria to fire upon U.S. troops stationed there, and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have fired missiles and drones that U.S. ships have intercepted in the Red Sea. Fleitz urged Congress to scrutinize the Biden administration's strategy in handling Iranian-backed attacks on U.S. troops and added retaliation should be against "significant" targets.
"There's a real divergence between the view of [Israel's war with Hamas] with the United States and the Israeli government," Fleitz said. "[President Joe] Biden is desperate to end this war. It's hurting him politically. … Biden officials are saying it should be wrapped up soon. They'd like it wrapped up in a couple of weeks because the primaries are coming.
"There's going to be increasing tension between the United States and Israel, as Israel does when it has to do to guarantee its security and Biden fights for his political survival."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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