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US in perilous waters: Israel seeks green light for Fordow Action
Shafaq News/ Tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated to unprecedented levels, putting US strategic red lines to the test—particularly the conditions under which Washington would shift from passive backing to direct military involvement.
While Israel continues to lobby for broad Western support, including from the United States, to strike Iran's heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility, the Biden administration remains cautious. The central question now is: what exactly would prompt direct American military engagement?
Israeli Appeal, American Hesitation
According to Israeli broadcaster KAN, Israel has formally requested US assistance in launching a military strike against Fordow, a subterranean site regarded as one of Iran's most impenetrable nuclear installations.
This appeal has been accompanied by diplomatic pressure on European allies—particularly the UK and France—to support defensive measures in response to Iran's drone and missile barrages launched under Operation True Promise 3.
Despite these efforts, US officials have reiterated that Washington will not enter the conflict militarily unless American forces or interests in the Middle East come under direct attack. The administration has stressed that its objective remains containment—not escalation.
Flexible Red Lines, Indirect Engagement
Though publicly restrained, the United States has been deeply involved behind the scenes. Analysts say US defense and intelligence officials are quietly supporting Israel through covert intelligence and logistical assistance, quiet weapons and munitions transfers, diplomatic and moral backing, and indirect pressure on Iran by warning of accountability for proxy attacks.
Dr. Patrick Clawson, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, told Shafaq News, 'The United States is staying in the shadows, but the option to intervene remains on the table if Americans are killed or US interests are directly hit.'
He emphasized that the real red line for Washington is 'the death of American soldiers or diplomats as a result of a direct Iranian attack—or one carried out through its proxies*.'
Washington's Three-Point Red Line
Analysts and former officials largely agree that US military intervention hinges on a tripartite threshold:
-A direct attack on US forces or interests—whether in the Gulf, Iraq, or Syria
-American fatalities, civilian or military, resulting from Iranian action or allied groups
-A major threat to key US facilities or allies—such as an assault on an embassy or military base
David Phillips, director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University and a former senior adviser to the US Department of State, told Shafaq News, 'Washington is still trying to avoid war, but it will not stand by if Tehran threatens US interests.'
He added, 'Even proxy attacks—by groups like the Houthis or Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces—could cross that line.'
Trump's Strategic Ambiguity
Ivan Sascha Sheehan, Executive Director of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore, pointed to a more 'dangerous' contingency considered under former President Donald Trump.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Sheehan said, 'Trump consistently hinted at the military option if diplomacy fails,' suggesting the US could deploy B-2 stealth bombers equipped with Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), also known as 'bunker busters,' capable of striking Fordow.
He noted, 'Alliance with Israel doesn't necessarily require boots on the ground. The US could enable Israeli action by accelerating supply lines and operational coordination—without direct combat involvement.'
For now, Washington remains committed to a policy of support without entanglement. While the Trump administration continues to arm, advise, and diplomatically back Israel, it is carefully avoiding being drawn into a wider regional war.
*Iranian proxies—armed groups across the Middle East that receive financial, logistical, and military support from Tehran—play a central role in Iran's regional strategy. These factions, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and several Iraqi forces such as Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, maintain close coordination with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), particularly the Quds Force, and are viewed by Western and Israeli officials as 'instruments' of Iranian influence and escalation across multiple fronts.
