Iona Cleave
American officials said that over 24 of its soldiers across Syria and Iraq have been injured in the past week as chaos threatens to descend across the Middle East.
For the past week, Washington has complained that Tehran is stepping up its attacks on American targets using its regional proxies in revenge for Israel's bombardment of Gaza.
White House spokesman John Kirby said that Iran was "actively facilitating" the assaults and "spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict".
But a report from Tortoise Media claims that the US has been keeping "quiet" about the true scale of the attacks on their military bases in the region.
A Western intelligence source told the outlet: "From what we’re seeing, the attacks against them have gone through the roof around the region."
The source added: “In north-east Syria, we’re hearing that the Americans have already had to evacuate around a dozen forward operating bases because they can’t protect them anymore.”
However, another anonymous US official told VOA News today that the US is not looking into evacuating any bases in the Middle East despite the rumours.
The report comes after US officials revealed plans are being drawn up to evacuate as many as 600,000 Americans from the region in a "worst-case scenario".
It comes as a time of soaring tensions in the region as the US faces serious questions over the level of involvement its military might have if the conflict spirals into an all-out war.
Since October 17, there have been at least 19 assaults on US bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria using drones and missiles, according to the Pentagon.
On Thursday, a US base at Kharab al-Jir in Syria was attacked for the second time in two days, while a base in western Iraq was also hit.
There are further unconfirmed reports of attacks today at the al-Asad base in Iraq.
Earlier this week, the US took new steps to protect its bases across the region and officials revealed they were leaving open the possibility of evacuations of military families if needed.
The measures reportedly include increasing US military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and hiking intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations.
The officials also said they would be beefing up defensive operations to counter potential incoming drones, rockets and missiles.
Early this morning, US warplanes struck two Iran-backed militia bases in eastern Syria in response to the targeting of their troops.
According to senior US military officials, the "precision" air strikes were carried out near Boukamal by two F-16 fighter jets.
They claimed to have hit weapons and ammunition depots that were connected to the Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and have been recently used to hit US bases.
The retaliation air strikes were intended to show Iran-backed militant groups that the US would not allow any threats to go unchallenged, officials claimed.
Chaos has unravelled across the Middle East since Israel declared war on Hamas after the terrorists unleashed hell on southern Israel during their bloody October 7 attacks that left some 1,400 Israelis dead.
Meanwhile, Israel has been relentlessly pounding the Gaza Strip from the air, with 6,000 Palestinians said to have been killed in the carnage.
Last night, the IDF said it launched its second "targeted" nighttime raid in a row as tanks, drones and helicopters smashed through the Gaza border, wiping out Hamas terror targets and infrastructure.
It comes as earlier this week, US officials reportedly told Israel to hold off on their expected full-scale ground invasion into Gaza.
The US allegedly asked for the delay so they have time to deliver a dozen advanced air defence systems to the region to protect their troops.
They are said to believe that their bases in the Middle East will become an even greater target to Iran's terror proxies when Israel launches its full-scale invasion into the Gaza Strip.
Speaking of this morning's air strikes, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, said they were in response to "unsuccessful attacks" by militia groups armed, equipped and directed by Iran.
He said that President Biden directed the strikes “to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.”
Iran is a key backer of Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad as well as Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis.
Washington has already sent two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean and 2,000 Marines in a bid to help stabilise the region.
Last week, it fired its first shots in the defence of Israel when it downed a missile believed to have been launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
An official said the USS Carney shot down 15 drones and four cruise missiles fired by the militia group in a nine-hour onslaught.
On Monday, four US officials said that Washington was preparing for the possibility of evacuating almost 600,000 Americans in Israel and Lebanon if the Gaza war escalates.
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