CNN —The US has intelligence that Iranian-backed militia groups are planning to ramp up attacks against US forces in the Middle East, as Iran seeks to capitalize on the backlash in the region to US support for Israel, according to multiple US officials.
The militia groups have already launched multiple drone attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria.
But the US now has specific intelligence that those same groups could escalate even further as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
Officials said that at this point, Iran appears to be encouraging the groups rather than explicitly directing them.
In the case of the recent drone attacks on bases housing US forces, “Iran is certainly more culpable than in the case of the Hamas attack in Israel,” said another person familiar with the intelligence.
Persons:
John Kirby, ”, Kirby, “, Matthew Miller, they’re, ” “ It’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, Naledi, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, ” Abdollahian, ” Austin
Organizations:
CNN, Israel, Officials, National Security, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, State, State Department, ISIS, Defense, Pentagon, US Navy, Iran’s
Locations:
Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Tehran, Qatar, Iranian, Yemen, East