- cross-posted to:
- world@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- world@lemmy.world
A barrage of U.S., coalition and militant attacks in the Middle East over the last five days are compounding U.S. fears that Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza could expand, as massive military strikes failed to stall the assault on Red Sea shipping by Yemen-based Houthis.
Even as the U.S. and allies pummeled more than two dozen Iran-backed Houthi locations on Friday in retaliation for attacks on ships, the Houthis have continued their maritime assaults. And Tehran struck sites in Iraq and Syria, claiming to target an Israeli “spy headquarters,” then followed that Tuesday with reported missile and drone attacks in Pakistan.
The chaotic wave of attacks and reprisals involving the United States, its allies and foes suggested not only that last week’s assault had failed to deter the Houthis, but that the broader regional war that the U.S. has spent months trying to avoid was becoming closer to reality. And underscoring the gravity of the roiling situation, the Biden administration is expected to announce plans to redesignate the Houthis as global terrorists, according to people familiar with the decision who requested anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of its announcement.
You said a regional war. Pakistan is not in the region.
Pakistan is only 200 miles from Oman by the sea. It’s absolutely relevant if not the textbook definition of Middle East.
Oh wonder how Ethiopia will feel learning they’re in the middle east.
Or Greece for that matter, given that Crete is approximately 200 miles from Egypt.
Now you’re putting words in my mouth. If Ethiopia was hypothetically attacked by Iran I’d also look at that strike in the context of what is also going on in the greater region.
No, you argued that Pakistan is in the middle east based on a distance from Oman.
You can’t pick and choose what falls in the middle east or not based on who attacked whom. By that argument, the US is in the middle east because they were attacked by Saudis on 9/11.
No I didn’t, I pointed out its close proximity to the Middle East. All I’m saying is I don’t think you should discount it just because it falls on the wrong side of a dotted line.
Greece and Ethiopia are in close proximity to the middle east. So, if Ethiopia and Eritrea go to war, it’s a war in the middle east, by your own definition.
I keep telling you that’s not what I’m saying. Your counter example doesn’t even make sense considering Iran is in the Middle East and shot missiles into three of their neighbors within a couple of days. That one of those countries happens to be east instead of west isn’t as important as the fact that Iran shot missiles into three of their neighbors. Downvote me all you want or continue to reply with whatever spin you want, I don’t really give a shit.
I might add that if Eritrea and Ethiopia went to war it would absolutely be relevant to talk about what kind of effect that would have on the Middle East considering Eritrea is right there on the Red Sea. I’d find that far more interesting than playing geography police or arguing hypotheticals all day.
Okay so if India bombed Pakistan right after Iran bombed them, an India and Pakistan war would be a war in the middle east.
Or maybe the relevant region is bigger, if Iran’s involved in both the battles to its west and its east?
Well please tell me how a separatist movement in Pakistan is related to what’s going on in Syria.
This is not something like the US expanding the Vietnam war into Cambodia. This would be like the US expanding the Vietnam war into India.