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Iraq’s Shia Militias Spark Military Buildup as U.S.-Iranian Tension Soars

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05.31.2019 at 04:46am

Iraq’s Shia Militias Spark Military Buildup as U.S.-Iranian Tension Soars by Carlo Muñoz – Washington Times

Iraq’s powerful and politically potent Shia militias are becoming a flashpoint in the escalating clash between the U.S. and Iran, with the Trump White House citing the militias’ rise — and the threat they pose to American forces — as a key justification for the recent military buildup in the Middle East.

President Trump has said he is not seeking a war with Tehran, but the region remained on edge as John R. Bolton, Mr. Trump’s hawkish national security adviser, arrived in the region and declared U.S. officials were convinced Iranian maritime mines were behind the recent sabotage of international oil tankers. Tehran is increasingly squeezed to hit back at ever-tightening sanctions imposed by Washington.

“There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind in Washington who’s responsible for this,” Mr. Bolton said in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday of the attacks on the tankers…

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