{"id":38915,"date":"2020-11-19T18:11:21","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T18:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/11\/19\/iranian-attacks-are-down-but-not-over-centcom-commander-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:32:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:32:49","slug":"iranian-attacks-are-down-but-not-over-centcom-commander-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/11\/19\/iranian-attacks-are-down-but-not-over-centcom-commander-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Iranian attacks are down, but not over, CENTCOM commander says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When rockets struck Baghdad\u2019s Green Zone<\/a> on Tuesday, within hours of the U.S. announcing it would draw down 500 troops from its presence in Iraq, it marked the end of an October truce between Iranian-backed militias<\/a> and coalition forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But American deterrence against Iran<\/a> is largely working, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, who heads U.S. Central Command, said Thursday in his remarks at the virtual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe the Iranian regime recognizes if they get into an escalatory spiral with the United States, it will not end well for them,\u201d he said. \u201cSo that\u2019s why we\u2019ve seen a recent decline in these tensions at sea, and attacks against us in Iraq and other places.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But though things may seem like they\u2019ve returned to normal, he added, Iran will continue to find ways to undermine the U.S., whether through overt attacks or other influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions reached a fever pitch earlier this year, when the U.S. assassinated Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for coordinating numerous attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, attacks have been down, McKenzie said, as have aggressive maneuvers of the IRGC Navy in the Persian Gulf, which in recent years have harassed U.S. ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, I believe Iran has been largely deterred, because the regime now understands we possess both the capability and the will to respond,\u201d McKenzie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also attributed the drop in attacks to the aftermath of Soleimani\u2019s killing, when members of Iraq\u2019s government moved to expel American troops, giving Iran hope that it had achieved its mission of kicking the U.S out of Iraq for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe government of Iraq has clearly indicated it wants to maintain its partnership with the United States and coalition forces as we continue to finish the fight against ISIS,\u201d McKenzie said of the decision not to expel the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\t