{"id":38913,"date":"2023-02-13T21:34:04","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T21:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/02\/13\/iran-overshadows-terror-cells-as-us-air-forces-top-mideast-priority\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:16:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:16:22","slug":"iran-overshadows-terror-cells-as-us-air-forces-top-mideast-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2023\/02\/13\/iran-overshadows-terror-cells-as-us-air-forces-top-mideast-priority\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran overshadows terror cells as US Air Force\u2019s top Mideast priority"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">America\u2019s military air operations in the Middle East are entering an era of surveillance rather than offense, as Iran exerts its influence in the region and terror groups are \u201cdown but not out,\u201d a three-star Air Force general said Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Missions to counter violent extremism have faded into the background after years in the spotlight, Air Forces Central Commander Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich told reporters at a roundtable hosted by the Center for a New American Security, a Washington think tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe need to ensure that there\u2019s not another attack on our homeland, or the homeland of one of our close partners,\u201d said Grynkewich, who took command in July 2022. \u201cHaving said that, it\u2019s not what takes most of our time these days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/07\/13\/iranian-envoy-responds-to-us-claim-its-selling-drones-to-russia\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22083620840539.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Iranian envoy responds to US claim it\u2019s selling drones to Russia<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Earlier in the war, Iran was criticized in the West for not condemning Russia\u2019s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now the air boss is focused on deterring Iran\u2019s nuclear program, and thwarting the proxy groups that receive advanced conventional weapons \u2014 from attack drones to rockets \u2014 and training from Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would assess that the overall Iranian objective continues to be to expel the United States from the region so they can be the regional hegemon and further threaten our partners in the region without \u2026 the threat of any kind of U.S. retaliation,\u201d Grynkewich said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iran\u2019s attention has turned to attacking U.S. and coalition forces in Syria, and considering offensives at sea and on the region\u2019s oil infrastructure, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His command is constantly monitoring at least a few active plots against U.S. or coalition forces, he said, adding: \u201cIt\u2019s not a question of if, but when.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2022\/07\/21\/air-force-official-expects-iran-to-resume-attacks-on-us\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7328228.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Air Force official expects Iran to resume attacks on US<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich spoke to journalists before stepping into his new role at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Thursday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked whether the U.S. overreacted to intelligence suggesting an imminent Iranian attack on Middle Eastern energy infrastructure last November \u2014 which never came to fruition \u2014 Grynkewich said he is confident that transparency stopped the plan altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt became public that an attack was going to happen, and therefore the Iranians knew they would not be able to deny it,\u201d Grynkewich said. \u201cThey assessed that \u2026 there would be some sort of a response.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iran\u2019s actions could usher in a new chapter in Syria\u2019s 12-year-old civil war, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grynkewich worries that Russia\u2019s increasing dependence on Iranian drones and other materiel for the war in Ukraine could bring together Iranian-backed militias and Russian operatives that support the Syrian government, and offer Tehran leverage in that conflict and with Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That alliance could further pressure the United States and its own patchwork of Syrian allies to make concessions to the Assad regime. About 900 U.S. personnel remain in Syria to advise and assist the Syrian Democratic Forces fighting government troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or, Grynkewich said, Iran could lean on Russia to adopt a different approach in Syria to further its own aims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWho would have ever thought that Russia would be beholden to Iran in some way?\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an inverse of the historical relationship of who\u2019s the client state and who\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/10\/20\/iranian-drone-trainers-in-crimea-to-help-russians-white-house-says\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"156\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22290485229137.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Iranian drone trainers in Crimea to help Russians, White House says<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The White House accused Iran of sending its military personnel to Crimea to assist Russian pilots who bombarded Kyiv with Iranian kamikaze drone.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Around 40,000 to 60,000 U.S. troops are deployed across CENTCOM, largely at military hubs in Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roughly 2,500 Americans remain in Iraq to advise and assist local troops in keeping the Islamic State at bay \u2014 a job that often falls to the Iraqi air force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S.-led coalition killed 11 Islamic State militants and detained 227 over more than 40 raids in Iraq and Syria in January, according to U.S. Central Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese operations degraded ISIS and removed multiple senior ISIS militants from the battlefield, including the Emir of Raqqa and a Syrian provincial media and security operative,\u201d the command said in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.centcom.mil\/MEDIA\/PRESS-RELEASES\/Press-Release-View\/Article\/3286799\/centcom-month-in-review-the-fight-against-isis-in-iraq-and-syria\/\">a Feb. 2 release<\/a>. \u201cThese successful operations are part of the mission to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In comparison, the command said about 375 IS operatives were detained, and around 700 killed, in more than 300 operations in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The terror network\u2019s experience is waning as leaders are killed and replaced with less seasoned militants, he noted. And recent military operations in Syria and in the Horn of Africa have been \u201cfairly effective\u201d at disrupting its web, Grynkewich said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/afghanistan\/2022\/08\/15\/afghan-troops-fled-to-iran-amid-taliban-takeover-gop-report-says\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP21264561298572.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Afghan troops fled to Iran amid Taliban takeover, GOP report says<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Republican lawmakers are blasting Biden for poor planning ahead of last year&#039;s withdrawal from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the group\u2019s offshoots can still wage small, localized attacks using small arms or roadside bombs, and can garner financial support from its central hub to grow that reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some terror cells, including the Islamic State\u2019s Khorasan branch in Afghanistan, appear interested in resuming attacks across the region or against the West, Grynkewich said. Some may have the means to cause damage on a large scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf the pressure is let off of ISIS-K too much, you now have the opportunity for those various elements to \u2026 marry intent and capability, and that\u2019s where the danger lies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. military flights over Afghanistan have remained stable, with a \u201chealthy amount\u201d of intelligence collection using MQ-9 Reaper drones, since the fraught withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2021, Grynkewich said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deterring the IS network\u2019s rise in Afghanistan is a challenge without American boots on the ground and the Taliban once again in power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have \u2026 to monitor it and see if it \u2026 rises to a level of concern where we need to surge capability into the region to deal with it,\u201d Grynkewich said. \u201cThat would be a political-level decision, based on a broad intelligence community-wide assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWho would have ever thought that Russia would be beholden to Iran in some way?\u201d said Air Forces Central boss Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":71627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","home","left-column"],"primary_category":"your-military"}}},"categories":[101,24,88,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3392],"class_list":["post-38913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"6HWGXI26FVB37LHTHS3YL5VGZ4","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2023\/02\/13\/iran-overshadows-terror-cells-as-us-air-forces-top-mideast-priority\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Iran overshadows terror cells as US Air Force\u2019s top Mideast priority - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cWho would have ever thought that Russia would be beholden to Iran in some way?\u201d said Air Forces Central boss Lt. 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Alex Grynkewich.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2023\/02\/13\/iran-overshadows-terror-cells-as-us-air-forces-top-mideast-priority\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-13T21:34:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T21:16:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rachel S. Cohen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rachel S. 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