NBC: Trump administration has new plan to drive Iran out of Syria
U.S. defense officials worry the increased focus on Iran and the presence of both militaries in Syria could pull the U.S. military closer to open conflict.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is developing a new strategy for the war in Syria that would focus more heavily on pushing Iran's military and its proxy forces out of the country, according to five people familiar with the plan.
The new strategy would not involve the U.S. military directly targeting and killing Iranian soldiers or Iran's proxies, however, since that would violate the current U.S. authorization for using force in Syria. The U.S. military does have the right of self-defense under the authorization, and could strike the Iranian military if it felt threatened.
The plan would emphasize political and diplomatic efforts to force Iran out of Syria by squeezing it financially. It would withhold reconstruction aid from areas where Iranian and Russian forces are present, according to three people familiar with the plan. The U.S. would also impose sanctions on Russian and Iranian companies working on reconstruction in Syria.
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WNU Editor: It is going to take more than just sanctioning a few Russian and Iranian companies to force Iran out of Syria.
