US military power 'overwhelming' and 'most sophisticated' on planet as Israel war erupts

The US military is the "most technologically sophisticated on the planet" and could play a big role in the Israel war, according to security expert Dr. Rod Thornton.

He told The Mirror that the US is "far ahead of anybody else" and has more troops and bases around the world, including the Middle East.

"It has the ability to reach from all these bases around the world using its air power. It can affect all parts of the world, mostly through its air power," he said to the outlet.

The US' military power is "overwhelming," according to Dr Thorton. But it's not just about size and spend. "I think the overwhelming power of the US military comes from its size, yes, but also to what is called C4ISR capabilities," he claims.

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4ISR stands for Command, Control, Communications, Computers (C4) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). Defense One calls C4ISR the "nervous system of the military."

Thornton shared: "It's these capabilities to see everything. From satellites to aerial observation, from drones, they have this big intelligence picture. Not just from satellites from above, but also their listening stations around the world, where they can pick up the chatter of adversaries."

"They can have surveillance assets, all kinds of aircraft in the air. It is mostly technology that comes down to the big nub of this thing."

The US's tech and firepower are still important in the Middle East situation. Worries about a war getting out of hand in the Middle East continue after Iran warned US-backed Israel about its air strikes on Gaza.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said "anything is possible" as Israeli strikes hit the region. This shows a shift in what Iran will tolerate in the Israel-Hamas war — prior to this, Iran had already warned against possible regional escalation if Israel entered Gaza.

"I warn the US and its proxy Israel that if they do not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control," Iranian Foreign Minister Mr Amir-Abdollahian said at a news conference in Tehran.

With the US supporting Israel, there are fears that a battle between Iran-backed militias and US-backed Israel could start. Today, it was reported that the Biden administration had advised Israel to delay its expected ground invasion.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have both said they expect the Israel-Hamas war to escalate and this will likely involve Iranian proxies. Iran supports Hezbollah, a Lebanese-based militant organization and Hamas, which Israel says it is targeting Hamas terrorists after over 1,400 people were killed by the militant group in a brutal and bloody incursion on October 7.

The US already supplies Israel with weapons and has the power to give it more advanced weaponry if it wants to. On Thursday last week, President Joe Biden said in a televised address that "We're going to make sure other hostile actors in the region know that Israel is stronger than ever and prevent this conflict from spreading."

Biden asked for help in his request to Congress for just over $105 billion to help fund the ongoing battles in Ukraine and Gaza, among other proposals. Currently, the House remains in gridlock and has failed repeatedly to agree on a permanent Speaker amid ongoing ruptures in the Republican Party.

Allied to the far right of the GOP is a faction closely associated with Donald Trump's Make America Great Again movement. They could prove to be a thorn in the Biden administration's plans - Israel would receive $14.3 billion in assistance under the proposal and most of the cash would go towards air and missile defense systems.

Political and policy analyst Vlad Davidiuk has warned that the "world opinion may increasingly turn against Israel" as the conflict continues. He also mentioned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is poor with limited aid allowed in despite concerns over a lack of food, water and fuel.

Davidiuk further stated: "Iran would face mounting pressure to increase its financial and military support for militias across the Middle East if the conflict escalates. The credibility of Iran's support for regional militias would be at stake."

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are officially designated as terrorist organizations by the US. US officials have expressed concern that US citizens could become victims of targeted attacks in the Middle East if the war escalates.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: "This is not what we want, not what we're looking for," and "We don't want escalation, e don't want to see our forces or our personnel come under fire. But if that happens, we're ready for it."

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned there was "a prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region."

Iran is also supporting Shiite militias in Iraq and the Houthi forces in Yemen, who are currently at war with Saudi Arabia. In a recent incident, the US Navy destroyer, the USS Carney, intercepted three missiles fired from Yemen heading north.