US airstrikes in Syria, Iraq: Iran now not bombed, armed forces expert explains why | LiveNOW from FOX

I do want to talk more about all of this right now so let's bring in Mike Lions a retired US Army Major thank you so much for taking the time to be here with us this morning we appreciate it hey thanks Josh thanks for having me all right so first off I kind of want to go back to basics here what do we know so far about the US air strikes over in Iraq and.

Syria help break it down for me yeah very significant uh over 85 targets hit uh multiple Precision launch guided missiles were used on bomber coming from the US did not use the assets currently in the Middle East to to to perform this attack tells me they're trying to keep the powder dry for what they're doing um you know it is more than just a punching.

The nose it is something that was extensive uh you might argue that it was telegraphed on some level but um but if we're going after two primary objectives the first one would have been leadership I think that that would have something that the military would like to have taken care of right away uh but but really if we didn't strike within the.

First 48 hours after we were attacked that you were going to lose that that group anyway they were going to scatter to the WIS but the second one was this Logistics and supplies and it seems as though we've hit these some of these targets before but now seriously have damaged them and seriously taken away of a lot of their capability what what.

They've done is there's a there's a land bridge that runs from Iran through Iraq into Syria that allows um the Iranians to resupply these Shia militia groups along these Road networks there within these certain Supply points and the US went and attacked most of them and I think they're going to continue that attack here in the coming days I think.

It's going to be more of a campaign not just a a one-time deal and I do want to ask a question that has been asked a lot here and that is what is the ultimate goal of these strikes are we talking destroying military headquarters are we talking about sending a message a very strong message or are we talking about a mixture of of both there I think the.

Strategic goal is to restore a level of deterrence that uh prevents these groups uh and with the Iranian influence to stop attacking US forces it looks like the red line was uh American forces that were killed there we've got a couple of thousand troops that are stationed inside of Syria in the northern part of Iraq you know I was surprised that this.

Group frankly was inside of Jordan uh technically uh from a political perspective that's difficult for that for that country to kind of explain that away as it has the Palestinian population to it um but we have troops there and they're fighting Isis and they're working on the things about making sure that terrorism doesn't.

Spread and so the the issue is making sure that they're protected and we don't want them attacked in fact some of these sh milissa groups we were working with years ago to to fight against Isis um but uh in the second the second message it goes to Iran uh in that to get control of these groups not only the ones that are in that region but also in.

Yemen the houthis I think are another uh real problem set for the Iranians to take control of as what they're doing in the Red Sea controlling those Maritime uh threat threatening those Maritime sea Lanes attacking US troops and forces there the Navy the Destroyers there as well so I think that's a there's a twofold message it's it's the restore.

Deterrence against US forces and then number two send a message to Iran to say basically get all your proxies on a leash you talked about this a little bit in the first question there but there's been some criticism against Biden and his administration and the US for waiting several days to strike back and I just want to get your opinion here is.

That a fair criticism well Josh you can argue that it was telegraphed and it just shows our confidence of the fact that we were going to you know have an air strike without any concern for example about air defense systems that are there there's nothing that that took out the US uh attack uh uh planes that that did.

This operation uh but I do think that if the initial uh strike didn't take place within the first 24 to 48 hours we weren't going to get any real targets of value of of their leadership they were going to immediately scatter so the clock was running as soon as that that took place and I think once that that that the time passed and we didn't do.

Anything then it just made a lot more sense to just not have this visceral response uh from a military perspective uh let the let the soldiers uh that came home let let that that dignified event take place and then and then do something once once all that was done so I I think at the end of the day this was the better.

Decision want to talk about some stats here that have been released and we're going to start with one by Iran's president who I mean sent a threat to the us on Friday which isn't really anything new but said quote it will not start a war but if a country if a cruel Force wants to bully us the Islamic Republic of Iran will give a strong.

Response what do you make of that statement well in some ways that statement is for their internal consumption any kind of authoritative State like this has issues internally maintaining the power um the the inside Iran itself the people are repressed not a lot of you know positive things going on there and uh.

The authoritative nature of that government means that they always have to be you know clamping down so I think that statement more is for internal consumption as look Iran now has been the the the subject of terrorism we saw back a couple weeks ago that attack that took place in Kerman we see the Iranians striking into Pakistan separatist groups.

There there are inside groups of in inside of Iran that want to overthrow that government there so they have to do all they can to maintain their power in a perfect world it would be tremendous that uh that regime did change and Iran was brought into the the nation uh the world nation of of of uh of organizations but it's just not the case.

So they're going to continue to Bluster say that kind of rhetoric but but from our perspective let's see if this these attacks get to change their behavior why are we not striking Iran speaking of course about about the us and is that still a possibility is that something that could happen going forward well I think that would escalate.

Very significantly and it would uh escalate to a point where we'd have to really recognize what what you know what that would mean um to strike inside of Iran the question always is what's the target um if the target is military bases in the South that are launching cruise missiles on American forces well that's kind of one thing but if we're.

Going to strike Iran to get them toay attention it means striking downtown Tran it means striking their the equivalent of the Pentagon it means going after their regime and leaderships and so that that would take again a significant escalation um we don't know what the reaction would be between for China as you know fundamentally Iran as.

A Chinese Ally um and so I think we're holding that back uh until we find out more of the situation of what they're going to respond to here but that would start a a a much larger conflict that um I clearly this Administration doesn't want to get into that uh you know with tip over something that we don't know we'd ever get back in the.

Bottle and I want to talk about another statement that was released this one by Hezbollah as they announced the suspension quote of military and security operations against the occupation forces in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government what is the significance of that statement well Hezbollah maybe he waving.

A white flag there and that that group that's um that organizing there they don't they know that um that the American capability can hunt them down specifically the leaders I think that's where we will go after I think that's where the next strike will take place we took out a leader two Brigade commanders a couple of weeks ago as well in in.

Baghdad in in Iraq um it is unfortunate that we don't have a relationship with the Iraqi government uh that we're working on this together but but it's just the case of the fact that they're more closely with Iran right now so I think I think that's a message that the leaders of those uh groups are sending to the US that.

Says basically Mula we're not going to attack you anymore uh and so now maybe it's you know the next plate comes from Iran because Iran has launched cruise missiles in from Iran into the northern part of Iraq as they look at the Kurds as a separatist group that's trying to uh upset things that are going on inside Iran so I think they're trying to take.

Themselves out of the fight for right now to to live and fight for another day what do we expect to see happen with more strikes because it's clear that the strikes according to John Kirby according to President Biden are not over and there are going to be more of them do we expect those to happen in the coming hours days weeks do we know Josh.

I think two things I think the first thing we'll look at Battle damage assessment to see if there were something that we wanted to take out specifically of the 85 targets that we hit and and and the like there from again from a military operational perspective I think that will be one we might return uh with that we won't.

Return with the B1 bombers we'll use the assets we have have in the Middle East I think the second thing is it's going after the leadership like I said before I think that'll be part of the strategy and that that could take anywhere from a week to six months from now we did that with salaman back uh during the Trump Administration when uh we said we would.

Respond uh in kind and and we turned around and it took six months before we targeted him inside of Baghdad so when these um militia leaders or Iranian leaders decide to make a mistake and get outside of Iran then they become targets we see Israel doing that they're attacking some of the U Iran Republican guard commanders when they show up in.

Damascus when they show up in Syria uh to help the the Shia militia groups that are there as well so I do think you'll you'll see a a military um like operational proportional response to what we did battle damage assessment to take away capability but then the second thing is we're going after some of those leaders when they show their.

Face all right Mike Lions there retired US Army Major thank you so much for taking the time to join us here this morning and break down a very complicated subject there is a lot to this and it's obviously not going away anytime soon anything else you want to add about any of this before I let you go well Josh it all spends on what's.

Happened inside of Israel and Gaza and uh if there could be some peace settlement there uh maybe that would also uh take attentions and bring them down a few levels as well but it continues to be a Tinder Box uh and until the houthis and the this Regional Shia militia groups of 175,000 there's a tremendous number of them uh they still.

Threaten Israel both both sides still feel existential threats but until you see peace inside of Israel between them and Hamas and Gaza I think you're going to continue to see this escalate all right Mike thank you again for taking the time to be here we appreciate it thanks R me

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