U.S. military leaders warned members of Congress on Thursday about the growing alliance among adversaries and the threats it poses to American interests.
Gen. Michael Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told House lawmakers on the Armed Services Committee that he is “very concerned” about the growing partnership between China, Russia, and Iran.
“Collectively, Iran, Russia, and China are strengthening their relationships and fostering a chaotic landscape favorable to their exploitation,” Kurilla explained, later adding, “The ramifications of this partnership will have global implications.”
“What we see is Iran reliant on China and Russia is reliant on Iran. Iran sells 90% of its oil, all U.S. sanctioned, to China,” he added. “So in effect, China is funding Iran’s subversive and maligned behavior in the region. Iran went from hundreds to now thousands of one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, suicide drones, that they are providing to Russia. They are providing them both complete systems and they’ve built a factory for Russia to now produce them themselves.”
He noted that Russia is firing about 100 of these suicide drones into Ukraine each week.
The head of CENTCOM declined to discuss what Russia can provide to Iran, though he said he would tell lawmakers during their follow-up closed-door session. He called it “concerning.”
He testified in front of the Armed Services Committee on Thursday alongside Celeste Wallander, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, and Gen. Michael Langley, the head of U.S. Africa Command.
This is the latest in a string of warnings from U.S. and international officials about the axis’s growing partnership.
Last week, the G7 issued a statement warning of a swift international response if Tehran went ahead and provided Russia with ballistic missiles for potential use in Ukraine.
“Were Iran to proceed with providing ballistic missiles or related technology to Russia, we are prepared to respond swiftly and in a coordinated manner including with new and significant measures against Iran,” the statement said.
Also last week, National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters, “We haven’t seen [Iran and Russia] move forward other than the negotiation process actively advancing,” and he warned that Tehran is “hoping to get Russian military technology for themselves.”
The Pentagon considers China to be its pacing challenge, believes Russia poses an “acute threat,” and U.S. troops are under threat from Iran’s axis of regional allies. U.S. forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan faced about 170 attacks from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria from about mid-October through early February.
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The militias killed three U.S. service members at a small military outpost in northeast Jordan in late January. The U.S. military’s multifaceted response — which Wallander warned would happen again if U.S. forces are injured or killed in any attacks — has seemingly reestablished deterrence against them.
The Houthis, a Yemen-based rebel group also backed by Iran, has carried out dozens of rocket, missile, and drone attacks against commercial vessels transiting the waterways off Yemen’s coasts. The continued attacks, despite multiple responses from the U.S. military, have forced commercial shipping companies to consider new routes, and many have decided to reroute their ships on longer, more expensive voyages to avoid the region. Three people were killed in a recent attack on a commercial vessel, while another ship targeted by the Houthis sank to the bottom of the Red Sea, leading to environmental concerns.