McKenzie says the US is not looking to escalate.
With the anniversary of the US drone strike approaching an Iranian top general, there remains an “heightened risk” of an Iranian threat to US interests in the Middle East, the US top general told the Middle East. East to ABC News in an interview. But General Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie also downplayed that a conflict between the US and Iran is more likely.
McKenzie made his comments a day after the US Navy gave the rare acknowledgment that a US submarine had entered the Persian Gulf, a move widely believed to be sending a message to Iran.
The head of the US Central Command spoke to ABC News on his way back to the United States from a trip to the Middle East with stops in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
US officials are concerned that Iran or the proxy groups it supports in the region could retaliate for the Jan. 3 US drone attack that killed Revolutionary Guards commander General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.
Recently, McKenzie told reporters that US intelligence saw a higher risk of an attack in Iraq by Iran or Iran-backed groups.
“I really believe we are in a period of heightened risk,” McKenzie told ABC News Tuesday. “I would just like to emphasize this important point: we don’t intend to escalate ourselves.
McKenzie continues to view Iran and its allies as the greatest threat to US interests in the region, but, he said, “I believe Iran does not want war with the United States at this point.”
“And I am sure the United States is not seeking war with Iran,” he added.
On Monday, the US Navy made it a point to make public the transit of the submarine USS Georgia to the Persian Gulf, a move widely seen as a message to Iran not to heighten tensions.
McKenzie would not explain the submarine’s deployment in the Gulf, other than saying “There are many reasons for bringing a submarine directly into the Arabian Gulf. I am not going to comment further.”
And he noted that when a submarine goes through the Strait of Hormuz, it will “come to the surface.”
“So you can take that for what it’s worth,” he said.
The threat to US forces and interests in Iraq usually comes in the form of missile attacks by Iranian-backed Shia militias targeting the US Embassy in Baghdad, although those attacks have recently leveled off.
But on Sunday night, unknown attackers fired 20 107mm missiles at the embassy residence, killing an Iraqi citizen. No Americans were injured in the attack, damaging some of the buildings in the compound.
“The launch of more than 20 missiles at the US Embassy is certainly an escalation,” said McKenzie, who also labeled the attack as “very concerning,” as it was the largest such attack since 2010.
“We take this very seriously,” said McKenzie. “We have communicated our concerns to the government of Iraq. We are there at their invitation; they have a responsibility to protect us, and I actually believe they are taking it very seriously.”
The investigation to determine who was responsible for the attack continues, and with so many missiles fired, McKenzie predicted “there will be a lot of evidence.”
It is also assessed whether the C-RAM air defense system played a role in minimizing damage and casualties in the attack.
The missile strike occurred 12 hours after McKenzie left Iraq after meeting with Iraq’s chief of defense. McKenzie remained optimistic that an agreement will be reached with Iraq to maintain a long-term US military presence in the country.
The US is in the process of reducing its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to 2,500 by mid-January.
The reduction in force in Afghanistan means there are more NATO troops than US forces in Afghanistan, and McKenzie expected this to continue even as NATO likely decides to reduce its troop level early next year.
McKenzie said the US can continue to conduct its counterterrorism and advisory missions in Afghanistan, although those operations “will not be as robust as in the past.”
The Taliban have stopped attacking US forces in Afghanistan as part of the peace deal reached with the US earlier this year. But McKenzie remains concerned about the “massive” number of Taliban attacks on Afghan security forces.
He expressed optimism that the Afghan government and Taliban negotiators will be able to address levels of violence when they resume peace talks in Qatar on January 5.