SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Missile strikes launched by Iran and Israel in Iraq and Syria put U.S. forces at risk, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East said on Friday.
Marine General Frank McKenzie said over the past six months Iran has attacked U.S. forces and facilities a number of times, but “very good action on the part of commanders on the ground” has thwarted any U.S. casualties, according to The Associated Press.
“Had U.S. casualties occurred, I think we might be in a very different place right now,” AP quoted McKenzie as saying.
On Sunday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched 12 missiles toward Erbil. Kurdish authorities said the attack targeted a civilian area, wounding one person.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on its website that it had attacked an “Israeli spy center” in Erbil.
The Kurdish government rejected the IRGC’s claims, saying they were “baseless”. It also called on international community including Iran to visit and investigate the place targeted by the missiles.
The attack came several days after Iran said it would retaliate for an Israeli strike near Damascus, Syria, that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guards.
“I think it’s obvious that Israel is going to take steps to defend itself when it’s confronted with with Iranian actions. And of course, Iran is dedicated to the destruction of Israel,” McKenzie told Pentagon reporters on Friday.
“I do worry about these exchanges between Iran and Israel, because many times our forces are at risk, whether in Iraq or in Syria. So that, in fact, does concern me.”
