Commander of the US Central Command Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth McKenzie has accused Iran of intending to degrade security all over the Middle East.
McKenzie noted that the Iranians were surprised by the US killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in January, and have had to recalculate where their red line is drawn with the US. "They see we have the will to act," he said.
The General spoke at a Middle East Institute webinar titled, "Centcom and the Shifting Sands of the Middle East."
"Iran actively stokes instability and is intent on degrading security all over the region," McKenzie said. "They use proxies and violence to push other nations in the region to their agenda."
He enumerated various threats from Iran, including funding and arming terrorist organizations, propping up the "murderous regime" of Bashar Assad in Syria and providing advanced weapons to the Houthi militias in Yemen.
He also cited directing attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and on oil refineries in Saudi Arabia, and attacking US troops in Iraq.
The State Department is leading the effort to pressure Iranian leaders diplomatically and, through sanctions, to make them renounce their nuclear ambitions, cease work on ballistic missiles and cease exporting terrorism against their neighbors, he said, noting that this effort is a whole-of-government approach that includes allies and partners.
The Defense Department's role regarding Iran is to deter it from taking direct or indirect military actions against the US and its allies and partners in the region, he said.
Beyond Iran, terrorist organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda still aspire to attack the United States, its allies and even the US homeland, the general said. Vigorous pressure on them prevents them from doing so, he added.
China and Russia also have become involved in the region, trying to use economic leverage to make their influence felt, the general said. Russia, he added, is propping up Assad, who they see as a valued ally with a warm-water port.
The US response has been to have close relationships with nations in the region, McKenzie said, helping them build up their security forces and encouraging them to purchase US foreign military materiel.
An over-the-horizon threat to coalition and partner forces in the region will most likely come from swarms of small unmanned aerial systems that can carry weapons, McKenzie said, noting that the army is taking the lead on developing counter-UAS measures.
McKenzie noted that the US is less dependent on Middle East oil than it ever was, but wants to ensure freedom of navigation for partners and allies. He specifically mentioned the importance of ensuring safe passage through the Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
