The total number of attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East increased over the weekend, with what appears to be six more incidents since last week.
By the numbers:
There have been 20 attacks on American positions in Iraq and another 18 in Syria.
Those clashes have injured
45 American servicemembers, but no one has been severely wounded or killed.
Twenty-four troops have suffered traumatic brain injuries from the assaults on U.S. bases.
Iranian-backed proxy groups have fired rockets and explosive drones at American positions as the U.S. has warned the groups may be seeking to take advantage of the Israel-Hamas war.
“The United States now finds itself on a new war footing with Iran and its regional partners,” wrote Jon Hoffman, foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute.
Since the war began, the U.S. has deployed thousands of personnel aboard two aircraft carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean along with a Marines’ special operations group.
The U.S. also deployed, just this week, an Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarine.
“We will make sure that we’re taking any necessary actions to protect our forces,” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
President Biden on Monday discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the possibility of “tactical pauses” in Israel’s assault against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as the U.S. faces increasing outrage for holding back from calling for a cease-fire …
It is “not difficult” to obtain the sensitive, personal information of American military service members, and brokers are selling such data on the open market, creating a risk to U.S. national security, a new report from Duke University says. Researchers at the university’s Sanford School of Public Policy easily bought the sensitive information of American active-duty service members and of veterans for up …
Maine Sens. Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I) sent a letter to the U.S. Army inspector general requesting a thorough investigation of how warning signs were missed about Robert Card, an Army reservist who killed 18 people and injured 13 in Lewiston, Maine, last month. The senators pressed Lt. Gen. Donna Martin to launch a review of the incident to “fully understand what happened” and “what could have been …
The U.S. has deployed a nuclear-powered submarine to the Middle East as unrest grows in the region amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The U.S. Central Command posted a photo on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, of the Ohio-class submarine arriving in its area of responsibility Sunday but did not share any other details of the deployment, including its exact location. …
The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a press call on Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
In Other News
Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
Appeals court pauses Trump gag order in federal election interference case
An appeals court Friday ordered an administrative stay of a gag order barring former President Trump from targeting witnesses and the prosecutors in his federal election interference case, temporarily pausing its implementation ahead of further legal battles. The order from the D.C. Circuit court …
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discusses whether “America is overstretched” with retired Gen. David Petraeus for an 11:30 a.m. online event.
The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft talks on Ukraine’s counteroffensive for a 12 p.m. online event.
The Center for a New American Security talks with Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks to discuss the future of America’s servicemembers during a 10 a.m. hybrid event.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies will unpack U.S. nuclear force structure for a 9 a.m. in-person event.
The Hudson Institute breaks down North Korea’s security, diplomacy and human rights concerns during a 10:30 a.m. in-person event.
What We’re Reading
News we’ve flagged from other outlets:
A secret war, strange new wounds and silence from the Pentagon (The New York Times)
Tommy Tuberville is just the face of a ‘broken’ confirmation process, critics say (Military.com)
Manufacturing woes could sink US sub fleet. Can 3D printing save it? (Defense News)
While El Niño’s impacts are never a guarantee, the climate pattern tends to influence weather across the U.S. as it reaches peak strength in the winter. Read more
NEW YORK — The highly anticipated testimony of former President Trump in his New York civil fraud trial Monday heaved chaotically between defending … Read more
Opinions in The Hill
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