|
Will ‘Epic Fury’ campaign against Iran succeed?
Following a weeks-long build-up of US
military hardware in the Middle East, it was not a big surprise when
Washington launched air
strikes against Iran on 28 March, after attempts to
de-escalate tensions via negotiation drew a blank.
But unlike last year’s audacious Midnight
Hammer raid – during which US Air Force (USAF) Northrop Grumman B-2
stealth bombers targeted Tehran’s illicit nuclear sites – this
operation instead went for the “head of the snake”, as it were.
By eliminating Iran’s spiritual leader,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the US and its ‘Epic Fury’ campaign partner
Israel intended to facilitate swift regime change. However, despite
recent large-scale protests which had been suppressed by the
authorities in Tehran, the Islamic Republic’s house of cards has so far
failed to topple.
Instead, the kinetic action has plunged
the wider Middle East into a fresh period of instability, with the
region’s vulnerability as a major hub for international travel also
having been highlighted by airliners staying firmly on the ground.
Source:
US Navy
Epic Fury: with aircraft carriers watched
from above
So far, Tehran has launched ballistic
missile and drone strikes against locations in Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Not only has it targeted
military bases housing or supporting US forces, it also has struck
civilian sites such as international airports, hotels, and energy
infrastructure.
Intriguingly, the US has in retaliation
for the first time employed its Low-cost
Unmanned Combat Attack System: a design
reverse-engineered from Iran’s own Shahed-136 one-way attack drone.
The “fog of war” also has been in
evidence, with gaps in coordination between the US military and its
local hosts having resulted in a notable incident on 2 March. Twitchy
air defences in Kuwait jumped into action, accidentally downing not
hostile Iranian aircraft or drones but three USAF Boeing
F-15Es.
All six crew members aboard the strike
aircraft ejected from their jets and survived.
Qatar, meanwhile, later the same day
reported that its air force had shot down two Iranian Sukhoi
Su-24 ground-attack aircraft, without providing further
details.
Notably, Washington’s western allies have
not – as yet – joined any combat action, although Royal Air Force (RAF)
fighters have successfully engaged one-way attack drones targeted at
the UK’s Akrotiri base in Cyprus.
After initial hesitancy, London gave its
permission for the USAF to operate from UK-owned sites including Diego
Garcia for defensive missions, such as targeting ballistic missile
launch sites.
Spain, however, refused to allow American
support assets to fly from its territory, prompting the relocation of
some jets.
Meanwhile, operational security faces a
new challenge, with a Chinese company having freely posted satellite
imagery of the US equipment build-up in the region, and
also tracking the movements of its two locally-positioned aircraft
carriers. It is unclear whether that might have aided targeting by
Iranian forces.
|
Ingen kommentarer:
Legg inn en kommentar
Merk: Bare medlemmer av denne bloggen kan legge inn en kommentar.