Iranian retaliation against US forces could come soon, US officials say

WASHINGTON – The United States believes Iran could carry out retaliatory attacks targeting American forces in the Middle East soon, although the US is still seeking a diplomatic resolution that would see Tehran forgo any attack, two US officials said on June 23.

One of the officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss the assessment, said Iran's retaliatory attack could happen within the next day or two.

Iran has threatened to retaliate after the US bombed its nuclear sites over the weekend.

US officials have warned Iran against hitting back at the US and President Donald Trump said after the strikes that any retaliation by Iran against the US would be met with a force far greater than that used in the weekend US attacks.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said on June 22 that the US military had increased protection of troops in the region, including in Iraq and Syria.

The United States has a sizeable force deployed to the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops in the region. Some of them operate air defence systems, fighter aircraft and warships that can detect and shoot down incoming enemy missiles but their positions are vulnerable to attack.

Reuters reported last week that the Pentagon had moved some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable to any potential Iranian attack. That included aircraft being removed from the 24ha Al Udeid Air Base, in the desert outside the capital Doha. It is the Middle East's largest US base and houses around 10,000 troops.

Tehran has vowed to defend itself and retaliate.

But, perhaps in an effort to avert all-out war with the US, it had yet to target US bases or choke off a quarter of the world's oil shipments that pass through its waters by closing the Strait of Hormuz. REUTERS