Could the US be targeted as Iran retaliates against Israel?Iran has initiated a forceful counterattack on Tel Aviv, just as the dust had begun to settle on Israel’s first round of strikes on Tehran, an operation to wipe out the Iranian regime's nuclear capabilities.
Tel Aviv residents were instructed to remain in bomb shelters Friday evening until further notice as the Israeli Defense Forces intercepted an onslaught of missile attacks from Tehran.
The U.S. is left to wonder whether it will be drawn into the conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at first insisted the American government was not involved in the strikes, but President Donald Trump’s comments Friday suggest he didn’t oppose them.
Iran claimed that Israel’s "aggression against Iran could not have been carried out without the coordination and approval of the United States."
If Iran is acting rationally, it has no reason to provoke America into joining offensive attacks on behalf of its ally Israel.
But what if it isn’t?
"I hope and pray the Iranians don't hit Americans but … it's going to be very hard for the regime to not hit back and not hit back big," one former Pentagon official said. "All indications are they feel like they're going to have to hit back hard."
Another analyst echoed that point but emphasized the emotional toll on Iran's leadership.
"You're talking about human beings who just watched their country get attacked, and a lot of their close advisors, confidants, probably friends get killed, right?" said Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities. "That's a tough thing for Iran to actually muster to do, but that's clearly the right move for them strategically."
Iranians haven’t been afraid to attack the U.S. before: they tried to kill Trump and his former advisors Mike Pompeo and John Bolton over the Qassem Soleimani assassination for years. .......
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/could-us-targeted-iran-retaliates-against-israel
