Retired General: US forces in Iraq, Syria at risk of Iranian strikes

Former commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Retired General Frank McKenzie has stated that he believes US forces in Iraq and Syria are “certainly vulnerable” to retaliatory strikes by Iran.

McKenzie expressed that he is not surprised Iran has yet to respond following US attacks on its nuclear facilities, explaining, “I think Iranian decision making is a little crippled right now because of the loss of senior leaders” caused by Israeli actions, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

He also expressed confidence that the US military has implemented measures to prepare for any future Iranian attacks. 

“To your question about where they might strike, I think we’re certainly vulnerable in Iraq. I think we’re certainly vulnerable in Syria,” McKenzie said.

“And I’m certain that Central Command has done all the things we need to do to harden ourselves against those potential attacks." “The same for our other bases across the region,” he added. “I don’t know that it would be localized to the region though.” 

McKenzie also considered the possibility of an attack on US soil but pointed out that previous Iranian attempts to strike inside the United States have been largely unsuccessful.

“Iran has long harbored the desire to attack us in the United States. They typically have not been effective when they’ve done that. We’ve caught them in a couple of plots that are very public, that you’re well aware of,” he said. 

“So I think all those things are on the table, but it may take the Iranians a little while to work through this process, because nobody’s excited about going to a meeting in Iran right now,” McKenzie added.

By Naila Huseynova