C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on July 25, 2024. Image Source: (Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images)
The U.S. military said on Sunday it was increasing its air support capabilities in the Middle East and putting troops on a heightened readiness to deploy to the region as it warned Iran against expanding the ongoing conflict.
The announcement came two days after President Joe Biden directed the Pentagon to adjust U.S. force posture in the Middle East amid intensifying concern that Israel’s killing of the leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah could prompt Tehran to retaliate.
“The United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict,” Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
He also cautioned that if Iran or groups Tehran backs “use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people.”
The Pentagon statement offered few clues as to the size or scope of the new air deployment, saying only that “we will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days.”
Israel struck more targets in Lebanon on Sunday, pressing Hezbollah with new attacks after killing the group’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and a string of its other top commanders in an escalating military campaign.
The strikes have dealt a stunning succession of blows to Hezbollah after almost a year of cross-border fire, killing much of its leadership and revealing gaping security holes. But it has also raised questions about Washington’s publicly declared goals of containing the conflict and safeguarding U.S. personnel throughout the Middle East.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday that the United States is watching to see what Hezbollah does to try to fill its leadership vacuum, “and is continuing to talk to the Israelis about what the right next steps are.”
The U.S. State Department has yet to order an evacuation from Lebanon. But l ast week, U.S. officials told Reuters the Pentagon wassendinga few dozen additional troops to Cyprus to help the military prepare for scenarios including an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon.
The Pentagon said U.S. forces were being made ready to deploy, if needed.
″[Austin] increased the readiness of additional U.S. forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies,” Ryder said in a statement.
D.W.G. Kalani Tharanga is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Political Blogs.
Image Source : AFP
A SpaceX Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) to retrieve two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the ISS since June due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule. The capsule docked at 17:30 ET (22:30 BST), offering two empty seats for the stranded astronauts, who are now expected to return to Earth in February.
The retrieval mission, which also transported NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov to join the ISS crew, is part of a broader effort to enhance the reliability of space missions following the Starliner’s complications. The Dragon capsule's arrival is a crucial step in ensuring Wilmore and Williams' safe return.
Boeing’s Starliner Setbacks and the Stranded Astronauts
Wilmore and Williams arrived at the ISS in June aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule, marking its first test flight with astronauts on board. However, multiple technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, rendered the spacecraft unsafe for their return. After months of investigations, NASA determined that the Starliner was too risky to use for their journey back to Earth. The mission was already delayed for years due to earlier uncrewed test flight failures in 2019 and 2022. These setbacks left NASA with no choice but to rely on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule for a safe return, extending the astronauts’ stay until February.
SpaceX’s Role in NASA’s Space Shuttle Era Revival
NASA's retirement of its space shuttle fleet in 2011 left the agency dependent on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft for access to the ISS. To regain autonomy, NASA awarded contracts to two private companies Boeing and SpaceX in 2014, with the aim of diversifying and modernizing ISS transportation. While Boeing has faced numerous delays, SpaceX, under the leadership of Elon Musk, became the first private company to transport astronauts to the ISS in 2020. This latest mission with SpaceX underscores the company’s growing role in NASA’s objectives, highlighting the importance of having multiple spacecraft options to ensure the safety and efficiency of ISS missions. Despite the challenges, there is hope that Boeing’s Starliner will overcome its difficulties, while SpaceX continues to solidify its position as a reliable partner in NASA’s ongoing space endeavors.
C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.
Image Source: (Bilal Hussein/AP)
News of Hassan Nasrallah’s death in an Israeli attack has raised serious concerns about world peace. Israel has long been attempting to expand its persistent war to the whole Middle East and beyond. Hassan Nasrallah’s death has jeopardized the peace of not only the Middle East but the whole world.
The Impact of Nasrallah’s Death on Regional Dynamics
In an Israeli attack, Hassan Nasrallah, a senior Lebanese cleric and secretary general of Hezbollah, was killed on September 27th. Israel has officially claimed responsibility for his death. Netanyahu’s government officials have celebrated his death because Hezbollah is Israel’s strongest rival in the region. Israel used a 2000-pound US-made bomb in an airstrike on Hassan Nasrallah. Indeed, Hassan Nasrallah was a nightmare for the Israeli government. He led Hezbollah for almost 30 years. The organization made significant successes against Israel’s expansionist agenda. The Palestinian cause has always been amongst one of the key agendas of Hezbollah. The organization has been supporting Hamas and the Gazan people against the ongoing genocidal operations of the Israeli military.
Hezbollah, being a Shiite organization, gains its support from Iran. Many Iranian military commanders have trained Hezbollah’s military personnel. Moreover, Iran has also been providing military and intelligence aid to Hezbollah against the United States and Israel. The organization is stronger than Hamas and every other regional proxy. Due to being a Shiite group, it enjoys support from Iraq and Yemen as well. Since October 7, 2023, the organization has launched numerous attacks on Israel to pressure it to stop the latter’s war crimes in Gaza. However, Israel had been successful in neutralizing these attacks through its Iron Dome system.
Escalating Conflict: Israel’s Strategy and Its Consequences
Since the start of the persistent Israel-Hamas war, the Western media had been misrepresenting it as a war for the sovereignty and safety of Israel. However, Israel’s repeated attempts to expand the war into the whole Middle Eastern region have exposed this Western media propaganda. Previously, Israel attacked the Iranian embassy in Syria, in which numerous high-level, Iranian officials were killed. Israel was also allegedly involved in the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Hamas’ Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh was also killed by Israeli intelligence in Tehran, the capital of Iran. This was another Israeli violation of Iranian sovereignty. However, Iran’s prudent policies and the world leader’s appeals to show restraint foiled all the Israeli attempts to expand to the whole region.
Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, is ambitious to expand this war to the whole Middle Eastern region for his personal motives. Besides his government’s expansionist agenda, he wants to prolong his government and avoid all the corruption charges against him. To pursue this ambition, he is continuously attacking neighboring countries. Israel recently launched cyberattacks on Hezbollah members by hacking pagers, which resulted in killing hundreds of people and injuring dozens of them. After these cyberattacks, Israel started bombing Lebanon’s different cities indiscriminately. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, over 1000 people have been killed and almost 6000 injured in these attacks. These Israeli attacks led to massive migrations in Lebanon. According to UNHCR, 90000 Lebanese people were displaced, with 30000 migrating to Syria, in just 72 hours.
Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, has stated that 1 million Lebanese people have been displaced due to recent Israeli attacks. These Israeli attacks have not only jeopardized Lebanon’s sovereignty but have also imperiled the peace of the whole region. US President Joe Biden stated at a UN headquarters meeting that an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah is possible. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also warned that Lebanon is on the brink of becoming a second Gaza. He further stated that this catastrophe has “become a non-stop nightmare that threatens to take the whole region down.”
The International Response: A Call for Restraint and Cooperation
Despite warnings and appeals from leaders around the world, Israel is expanding its attacks to other regional countries. Israel has also attacked Syrian and Yemeni cities. These Israeli attacks will engulf the whole region in this war. Moreover, the threats of world war have also increased due to the death of Hassan Nasrallah and Israeli attacks on different regional countries. All the regional countries and global stakeholders have started taking steps to support their allies. The United States has recently announced to send more troops to the Middle Eastern region amidst rising regional tensions. Reports suggest that Israel is also planning a ground invasion of Lebanon under the pretext of eliminating Hezbollah. On the other hand, Hassan Akhtari, the head of the Committee for Supporting the Islamic Revolution in Palestine within the Iranian presidency, has stated, “Through public registration, officials will certainly grant permission to deploy forces to Lebanon and the Golan Heights. We can send troops to Lebanon to fight Israel, just as we did in 1981.”
The Middle East is one of the most significant strategic regions for all the superpowers of the world. Increasing US military troops in the region will jeopardize Russian interests in the region. Therefore, this war could engulf more than just the Middle Eastern countries. Yemen and Hezbollah have already targeted different cities and ports in Israel after the death of Hassan Nasrallah. These successful attacks on Israel demonstrate that the Iron Dome system is not efficient enough to secure Israeli citizens, and the latter will have to pay a heavy price for the ambitions of Netanyahu. Israel’s economy has already stagnated due to its war in Gaza. Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon would result in a wider regional war, which can expand into the third World War at any moment. Russia has already changed its nuclear doctrine due to Western support for Ukraine. On the other hand, the United States and its Western allies are continuously weaponizing the brutal Israeli forces and Ukraine. The developing situation in the Middle East demands a collaborative effort by all the multilateral organizations to avoid further escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah rivalry. Otherwise, the world would see a devastation not seen ever before.
