CNN’s Barbara Starr is reporting this morning that US forces have been put on “high alert” for possible Iranian drone attacks:
CNN – US forces and air-defense missile batteries across the Middle East were placed on high alert overnight Monday to possibly shoot down Iranian drones as intelligence mounted about a threat of an imminent attack against US targets, two US officials tell CNN.
The alert reflects the heightened tensions between the US and Iran in the wake of last week’s US drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani. US officials have claimed the strike against the general was carried out to prevent an “imminent” attack in the region that would have put American lives at risk, but have so far declined to provide details about the intelligence.
She reports that our intelligence shows Iran moving military equipment:
US intelligence also has observed Iran moving military equipment, including drones and ballistic missiles, over the last several days. US officials said the movement may be an Iranian effort to secure its weapons from a potential US strike, or put them in positions to launch their own attacks.
“There were indications that we needed to monitor the threats” even more closely than is already being done, one of the US officials said, referring to Monday night’s state of heightened alert. The second official described it as “all Patriot batteries and forces in the area on high alert” against an “imminent attack threat.”
Iran has put missiles on its drones that have been used in other attacks, including a significant attack on Saudi oil installations last year. While forces have already been on high alert for several days, they were even more vigilant Monday night, both officials said.
Based on the intelligence, the US was watching for potential attacks specifically against US locations in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. On Monday, the US Maritime Administration issued a warning to commercial vessels operating in the Middle East that “there remains the possibility of Iranian action against U.S. maritime interests in the region.”
The New York Post is reporting this morning that the US is preparing for a possible ‘tit-for-tat’ strike by Iran on one of our US commanders and thus are moving our forces around in the region to help protect our people:
The US military has increased protection of its forces, particularly in Iraq, amid fears that Iran is planning a “tit-for-tat” strike on an American commander as revenge for the assassination of its most powerful general, according to a report.
Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that targeting Soleimani was not representative of a wholesale shift in Washington’s policy toward the Islamic Republic – and Trump has said he was not seeking a “regime change” in Tehran.
But the attack on the revered commander was a risky decision that the president’s Republican and Democratic predecessors avoided amid concerns it would draw the two countries closer to conflict.
While officials say American intelligence is unclear on whether Iran’s latest military moves are designed to bolster its defenses or prepare for an offensive strike, the US is reinforcing its own positions in the region.
US officials said some Iranian vessels have spread out could move rapidly to attack – and that Washington anticipated a “major” attack of some kind within the next day or two.
A number of the recently deployed troops from the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division have moved into Iraq from Kuwait to ramp up security for Americans there, officials said.
Hopefully these reports of imminent attacks from Iran don’t end up being true and that all of our vigilance and troop reinforcements pay off and Iran decides to de-escalate tensions.