While the Americans engage in negotiations with the Iranians regarding a prisoner exchange deal, which will include unfreezing Iranian assets in South Korea worth roughly $7bn, a recent surge in assaults on American bases by pro-Iranian militias has been taking place.
Unlike previous instances, Iran is now orchestrating these attacks within a newly-created framework, meant to conceal its involvement. This previously unheard-of group, calling itself “the Popular Resistance in the Eastern Region,” boasts a logo reminiscent of other Shiite-affiliated organizations.
In an official statement, the organization claimed responsibility for three attacks involving rockets and drone strikes targeting American bases in the “Shadadi”, “Konikho”, and “Omar” oil and gas fields in northeastern Syria.
This situation encapsulates a classic Middle Eastern strategy: one hand negotiates while the other strikes.
