Former NATO Commander Explains How Israel-Hamas War Could Grow

[slider]

Amid increasing tensions in the Israel-Hamas war, former NATO commander
Admiral James Stavridis explained on Saturday how Iran could "spark a
wider conflict."

On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on
Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest ever
airstrikes on Gaza. As of Saturday, at least 1,400 people had been killed
in Israel, the Associated Press reported, citing the Israeli government.
More than 7,300 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza, according to the
Gaza Health Ministry, the AP said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has said his country is "at war" and has cut off supplies of
food, fuel, electricity and medicine into Gaza.

In an interview on MSNBC's The Katie Phang Show on Saturday, Stavridis
expressed how Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group that is backed by Iran,
could escalate the intensifying conflict between Israel, Lebanon, and the
Middle East region.

"Someone asked me on an interview a couple days ago: 'What could spark a
wider conflict?' There is a one word answer, and it is Iran. Iran because
they control this evil creature they've created, Hezbollah, a Shiite
terrorist organization which is 10 times the size of Hamas down in Gaza.
Iran has created them, armed them, they have 130,000 surface missiles
poised to launch at Israel, if Iran chose to unleash those, we've got a
wider war," he said.

"Or Iran could choose to close the Strait of Hormuz, 35 percent of the
world's oil goes through there, we've got a wider war. The administration
is very focused on Iran," Stavridis said.

According to Reuters, since the Israel-Hamas conflict, analysts and market
observers have noted that the conflict could prompt the United States to
tighten sanctions on Iran, which may spur Tehran to take retaliatory
action against ships in the Strait in Hormuz.

"If the conflict broadens to include the closure of the Strait of
Hormuz—the world's busiest oil-shipping channel—it would shut down the
region's oil trade, supercharging oil prices," JP Morgan said in a note,
according to the news agency.

Meanwhile, there is still deep concern over Iran's role in supporting both
Hamas and Hezbollah against Israel, and threats of escalation from Tehran
over Israel's approaching ground offensive in Gaza.

As concerns grow, the House Foreign Affairs Committee said last week it is
drawing up legislation to give the go-ahead for U.S. military force in the
Middle East if Iranian-backed forces become involved in the ongoing
conflict between Israel and Hamas, the committee's chair has said.

"I hope I never have to mark this bill up," Representative Michael McCaul,
a Texas Republican, told CNN on Monday, adding lawmakers were drafting the
legislation "in the event that it's necessary."

"But we have a situation in the Middle East that's growing day by day with
intensity," he said. "And if Hezbollah gets involved, Iran has already
threatened...if IDF (Israel Defense Forces) goes into Gaza that they're
gonna come out."

Additionally, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CBS last week,
"We can't rule out that Iran would choose to get directly engaged some
way. We have to prepare for every possible contingency. That's exactly
what the president has done."

Although it is not clear if Iran will chose to escalate the conflict,
Stavridis said on Saturday that Marines are waiting and ready to support
Israel.

"I'll close with something you are not hearing on the microphones and that
is the sound of two aircraft carriers strike groups, 2,000 marines in the
waters off the coast of Lebanon, slicing through those waters and very
prepared to support Israel by striking Hezbollah, if Iran unleashes that
attack," he said.

https://www.newsweek.com/james-stavridis-explains-how-iran-could-escalate-israel-hamas-conflict-1838816

[He Who Sees All]

On Sat, 28 Oct 2023 20:05:49 +0100, slider <sli...@anashram.com>
wrote:

Good article.

The problem in the White House is senility & stupidity & blind
allegiance to Israel, no matter what they do, what manner of atrocity
Netanyahu inflicts on the civilians in Gaza who really just wanted
their own fucking state with borders.

Another problem is those armed Israelis with the weird
sideburns/sidelevers who murder Palestinians after they steal their
land whlle the courts in Israel, and the world, just stands by.

Perhaps this time though, Israel and its warmongers have bitten off a
hard bisquit, they might have the tiger by the tail - in which case,
they dare not let go.

Good to see the UN resolving to require a cease fire on humanitarian
grounds. Shame trhe US is too fucking gutless to its monied masters
and we here in Australia too far up America's arsehole to vote yes!