Iran and its regional proxies remain an active threat to American forces in the Middle East, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Wednesday, stressing that the Trump administration’s countermeasures so far have not produced lasting changes in Tehran’s behavior.
Speaking to reporters while en route to Asia, Mr. Shanahan said recent U.S. moves — approving the deployment of an aircraft carrier, bombers and 1,500 additional troops to the region — succeeded in warding off a specific, looming attack on American forces, but the broader threat from Tehran remains. Mr. Shanahan did not offer any new information on the threats except to say that Pentagon officials believe Iran still poses a real danger to American forces.
“I don’t see a change in any behavior,” he said. “I think the situation … still remains tense. It’s a high-threat environment.”
“The Iranian threat to our forces in the region remains,” he added.
His comments come amid growing criticism from Democratic lawmakers and others who say the White House is pushing the narrative of a direct Iranian threat without providing concrete evidence. Mr. Shanahan briefed lawmakers on the Iranian threat last week but conceded he was unable to provide a full picture of the situation on the ground.
“I spent a lot of time trying to balance how much can be shared and how much to protect,” he said. “In a perfect world more is better, but I really need to protect the sources.”
Mr. Shanahan also pushed back on reports that some in the White House, such as National Security Adviser John Bolton, are privately urging military action against Iran.
“Nobody wants a war,” Mr. Shanahan said.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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