Sunday was supposed to mark the sixth meeting between the United States and Iran in Oman to negotiate restrictions over the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic. That meeting was cancelled.
The cancellation was due to the events two days before as the world crossed a line it may not easily step back from. Israel launched a wide-scale military operation against Iran in the early morning darkness, striking targets across at least 12 provinces, including the capital city of Tehran and the northwestern hub of Tabriz.
Targets ranged from suspected nuclear facilities and air defense systems, to the homes and offices of senior military personnel. Iranian state media confirmed the deaths of several top commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
The conflict between Israel and Iran at this moment has the potential of sucking in the United States. At the very least, oil prices are going to increase, and Americans are going to feel the pain at the pump. Another possibility is mobilization of the San Diego area’s sailors and Marines. Navy ships are already has helping Israel intercept the Iranian missiles launched in retaliation.
Even if this conflict is short-lived, it is the result of policy decisions that began with President Trump withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2017. During Trump’s first presidency he constantly deployed forces to deter Iran, almost going to war with the country in 2020 after assassinating one of its generals.
And after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the United States, under both the Biden and Trump administrations, has deployed forces to the Middle East. Right now this includes the San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which is currently operating in the Arabian Sea.
The Lincoln’s aircraft include a squadron of stealthy F-35C strike aircraft from Lemoore in Northern California, and helicopter squadrons from North Island. The carrier is accompanied by two San Diego-based warships, the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton and guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett.
Carrier strike group deployments are routine, yet the possibility of these forces now being targeted by Iran has increased exponentially. If this were to occur, the United States would almost certainly increase its presence in the region, rather than withdrawing from the conflict.
San Diego-based forces have long served to deter Iran. In April 2024, when Iran fired a salvo of 300 drones and missiles at Israel, Navy destroyers assisted with air defense.
And since Israel uses American-made aircraft and weapons, it needs direct U.S. support. This has made the United States a party to what is essentially a long-running undeclared war with Iran, leaving American forces in the region vulnerable to retaliation.
San Diego has been shaped by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with veterans who served multiple tours in both places, and the arrival of a whole generation of refugees who fled those conflicts. The latest flare up has the potential to become the third major American conflict in the Middle East since the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Ibrahim Al-Marashi is an associate professor of history at Cal State San Marcos and a visiting scholar at University of San Diego and San Diego State University.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Opinion: Strike on Iran risks drawing San Diego military into another ‘forever war’ )
Also on site :