Washington prepares retaliatory strikes for Iran-backed attack in Jordan

(Originally published Feb. 2 in “What in the World“) The U.S. has finalized plans to strike a series of Iranian-linked targets in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for the drone attack last weekend that killed three American soldiers in Jordan.

The attack, which was the latest in roughly 150 on U.S. outposts in the region since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza, was the first to succeed in killing Americans. And U.S. officials believe the drone used was Iranian-made.

The prospect of a more robust retaliation appears to have sent Iran and its proxy militias in the region scurrying. Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah said Wednesday it would halt attacks against U.S. positions. And Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said publicly they don’t want a war with the U.S., while reportedly pulling out of Syria to avoid further losses. Israeli forces have killed six senior Guards since December. The Pentagon, which said after the attacks it also wasn’t looking for war with Iran, is nonetheless still looking for payback.

Russia is allegedly jamming GPS signals in the Baltic states in what could heighten European fears of a potential invasion. Whether or not Moscow is trying to baffle Europe’s missile and missile-defense guidance systems or not, the interference could pose a risk to civilian air traffic.

Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland, meanwhile, are planning a military corridor to make it easier to rush troops eastward if Russia does invade. The plan would include building low bridges and ease rules around moving weapons and ammo across borders to prevent any bureaucratic bottlenecks in the event of an emergency.

In the Red Sea, meanwhile, Denmark has sent a second frigate to join the U.S.-led coalition fending off attacks on commercial shipping by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. It makes sense for Denmark to play a part: the world’s largest shipping company by fleet size, Maersk, is Danish. Maersk’s fleet represents 18% of the world’s sea-borne shipping capacity.

India has also joined cause with the anti-Houthi efforts. While India hasn’t joined Washington’s “Operation Prosperity Guardian” in the Red Sea, New Delhi has sent a dozen warships to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.