Iran's war against Israel and US spreads in Middle East

 ISW:

1. Palestinian militias continued indirect fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 20. Hamas also released two American hostages held in Gaza, marking the first time Hamas has released any hostages since its October 7 attack into Israel.
2. Clashes between Palestinian militants and Israeli security forces in the West Bank increased following Hamas calls for protests on October 18. The Israel-Hamas War may be driving Palestinian militia coordination in the West Bank.
3. Iranian-backed militants targeted US forces stationed at Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) and al Harir Air Base on October 20, marking the third consecutive day of attacks against US forces in the Middle East. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have threatened to continue attacks on US forces in the Middle East.

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IDF airstrikes continue to kill Hamas leadership and operatives in Gaza. The IDF killed senior Hamas engineer Mahmoud Zavih on October 20.[6] The IDF reported that Zavih was responsible for weapons production for Hamas' military wing, the al Qassem Brigades.[7] The IDF said the leader “exchanged knowledge with other terrorists in the Middle East,” suggesting the leader supported the weapons production effort of other Axis of Resistance groups in the region.

The IDF is degrading Hamas’ naval capabilities which Hamas could use to target Israeli gas rigs and other infrastructure, according to an Israeli journalist.[8] An IDF airstrike on October 19 killed a member of Hamas’ naval branch in Gaza who the IDF claimed was plotting maritime attacks.[9] The IDF also killed another member of Hamas’ naval branch in Gaza who participated in Hamas’ attack into Israel on October 7.[10] Hamas has worked to develop its naval capabilities in recent years. The IDF reported in 2021 that Hamas for the first time developed unmanned sea vessels to launch attacks in Israel.[11]
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Iranian-backed militants targeted US forces stationed at Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) and al Harir Air Base on October 20, marking the third consecutive day of attacks against US forces in the Middle East.[34] The Islamic Resistance in Iraq - an umbrella group of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias - targeted US forces stationed at Al Harir Air Base in Iraqi Kurdistan on October 20 in a drone attack.[35] It claimed to have launched two drones targeting the air base and reported that both drones “hit their target.”[36] This is the fourth attack claimed by the Islamic Resistance of Iraq during the last three days.[37] Militants from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted Al Harir Air Base and Ain al Asad in Iraq and the al Tanf Garrison and Conoco Mission Support Site in Syria on October 18 and 19.[38]

Unidentified militants targeted US forces stationed at BIAP in a rocket attack on October 20.[39] Iraqi Security forces found the rocket launch site in Jihad neighborhood, which is adjacent to the airport.[40] The counter-rocket artillery mortar (C-RAM) system at BIAP engaged two rockets, destroying one.[41] This is the first attack on BIAP since October 7. No group has claimed the attack on BIAP at the time of publication.

Iranian-backed militias have conducted eight attacks over the past three days across the Middle East in a multi-theater escalation against the United States and Israel. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias threatened to conduct attacks on US forces in the region if the United States intervened in the Israel-Hamas war, as CTP-ISW previously reported.[42] Iranian-backed Iraqi groups are currently behaving as though the United States has crossed this red line. Armed Forces General Staff Chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned on October 19 that continued Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip could force “other actors,” including “resistance groups,” to engage in the conflict, echoing previous regime rhetoric about the possibility of a conflict expanding.[43]

Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have threatened to continue attacks on US forces in the Middle East. Tura News, affiliated with Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah, circulated a warning of additional attacks on US forces in Iraq “in the next few days.”[44] Iranian-backed Badr Organization released a promotional video repeating the group’s threat to attack the United States if it intervenes in the Israel-Hamas war.[45]

Ashab al Kahf released a statement on October 20 threatening to conduct improvised explosive device (IED) attacks on US forces.[46] Ashab al Kahf is a member of the Islamic Resistance of Iraq which claimed the one-way drone attack on US forces stationed at Ain al Asad Air Base on October 18.[47] Ashab al Kahf claimed 3 IED attacks targeting US logistics convoys in Iraq between July and August 2023.[48]
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I question how long the US will be content with tit for tat response with Iranian forces before it launches attacks on Iran itself.  It is pretty clear that Iran has declared war on the US forces in the Middle East along with its use of Hamas in its war with Israel.  Just responding to disparate attacks against US forces is not a strategy that will stop Iran.  I do not think the Iranian people support this war, but it may be difficult to only attack the current leaders of Iran.  It does not look like the Biden administration has a plan at this point beyond just responding to attacks.

See, also:

Israel says two Americans held hostage by Hamas, a mother and daughter, have been released

Hamas on Friday freed an American woman and her teenage daughter who had been held hostage in Gaza, Israel said, the first such release from among the roughly 200 people the militant group abducted from Israel during its Oct. 7 rampage.
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And:

Powerful Saudi prince breaks ranks to condemn Hamas 

And:

 The US Navy is preparing for combat ops on a scale not seen for many years

Yesterday the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer, engaged three cruise missiles and some drones in the Red Sea. She had left the Suez Canal the day before and was heading south, most likely en route to the Gulf of Aden to pick up and escort US amphibious ships Bataan and Carter Hall coming the other way to join the task group forming up in the Eastern Mediterranean. In one brief moment (although it wouldn’t have felt like that on board) the missile threat known about in that area for some time became real.

Where the missiles were heading from or to has yet to be verified but from Yemen and therefore fired by Houthis, and heading towards Eilat are reasonable assumptions. But their exact type and destination is perhaps less relevant to a large task group forming up in the Eastern Med than the fact that missiles have now been fired, in anger, over the sea.
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And:

 Incident involving US warship intercepting missiles near Yemen lasted 9 hours

And:

 Captured Hamas weapons hint that if Israeli forces invade Gaza, they could face a deadly improvised bomb that US troops feared in Iraq

And:

 Israel destroys underground tunnels in Gaza Strip and kills Hamas engineer who developed weapons

And:

 Israeli eliminates terrorists in Gaza, Lebanon, while striking Hamas and Hezbollah targets

And:

 'Hundreds' of Hamas Sites Hit, IDF Says, as Strikes Continue

And:

  Latest developments as US troops attacked in Middle East

And:

Hamas Is the Symptom, Not the Disease

The terror group was elected by Palestinians in Gaza precisely because it wants to destroy Israel and murder Jewish people.