US informs Iran it does not seek escalation, seeks direct contact: CNN
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A senior US official tells CNN that the US has directly communicated to Iran its intentions to avoid a greater conflict in the Middle East.
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US President Joe Biden at the Summit on Fire Prevention in Washington on October 11, 2022 (AP)
According to a senior US defense source, the US has taken "additional measures to communicate directly with Iran" to convey that it does not intend to escalate warfare in the Middle East amid the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
It follows the Pentagon's announcement of an airstrike on Thursday that targeted the outskirts of the city of Deir Ezzor from the direction of Port Said Street and Harabesh.
The missiles targeted a bakery and empty warehouses, according to Al Mayadeen field sources.
The official told CNN, “In light of heightened tensions stemming from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, we have undertaken additional measures to communicate directly with Iran, Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, Lebanon, and our regional partners."
"We aim to clarify that our military actions do not signal a change in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and we have no intentions of escalating conflict in the region.”
According to a senior defense source, the US has added more Patriot batteries to its Middle East bases in response to strikes in Iraq and Syria by Resistance forces.
The US military has moved an unspecified number of Patriot batteries from the US to the Middle East, although the location of their deployment has not been made public by the Pentagon.
US can't help 'Israel' defeat Hezbollah, Iran: Former US intel officer
Scott Ritter, a former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer, told Al Mayadeen that Benjamin Netanyahu desperately seeks to get the United States involved in a multi-front war.
During a panel discussion, Ritter explained that Netanyahu is the only person who wants the Northern Front to open with Lebanon, in order to draw the US into the war his government is leading on Gaza because he realizes that his forces are "not up to the task; they can’t defeat Hamas and Hezbollah at the same time."
Ritter also pointed to the crucial role that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's Secretary-General, is executing regarding the unfolding events. "The key player here is Hassan Nasrallah what he will do and he’s made it clear that he is in the business of escalation management; that he is not willing to precipitously escalate the violence with Israel unless provoked."
For Ritter, Hezbollah's actions showcase their perseverance to secure victory against the Israeli occupation.
In addition, as the Israeli forces are relentlessly bombing Gaza, multiple sources quoted senior US administration as saying that certain officials within the current US administration are "distraught" by the scenes coming in from Palestine, as reported by CNN.
One month into the Israeli aggression on Gaza, some senior officials have privately relayed that there are aspects of "Israel’s military actions" "they simply cannot stomach defending," amid growing calls for the US to back a ceasefire. Other officials have expressed being distraught by the incessant images of Palestinian civilians being killed by Israeli airstrikes.
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, "Israel" and allies should begin to set the conditions of "durable peace" in Gaza, one of which would be that "Israel" cannot occupy Gaza. He noted that it was "imperative that the Palestinian people be central to the governance of Gaza and the West Bank.”
