{"id":72308,"date":"2020-06-19T17:12:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-19T17:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/06\/19\/new-iran-rocket-attacks-wont-force-us-hand-in-troop-drawdown-general-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:33:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:33:53","slug":"new-iran-rocket-attacks-wont-force-us-hand-in-troop-drawdown-general-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/06\/19\/new-iran-rocket-attacks-wont-force-us-hand-in-troop-drawdown-general-says\/","title":{"rendered":"New Iran rocket attacks won\u2019t force US hand in troop drawdown, CENTCOM commander says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A recent, steady flow of rocket attacks<\/a> in the past week on facilities housing U.S. troops in Iraq, including Camp Taji and Baghdad, may be attempts of Iranian-backed groups to pressure an American exit. But the region\u2019s top military commander sees little effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to quit the region in response to Iranian pressure,\u201d Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said on an Atlantic Council online interview with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These attacks<\/a> come just days after a joint announcement by the Iraqi and U.S. governments on a plan to reduce troop numbers in the country in the coming months. That announcement came June 11 in a Department of State release and further negotiated details are expected in a meeting scheduled in July, an official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McKenzie recounted tit-for-tat attacks and provocations by Iran and the U.S. military and coalition responses, asserting that those responses were actually de-escalations of Iranian probing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile Iran may own the early steps of the escalatory ladder because the United States is attempting to avoid conflict. Iran needs to understand that the United States clearly owns the final steps in any escalatory ladder,\u201d McKenzie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t