By Wang Min

王  敏

The US Central Command announced at the beginning of this month that B-52 bombers from the Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing had arrived in the Middle East. This marks the first deployment of this strategic bomber to this region since 2019, shortly after the US deployed B-2 bombers to strike Houthi forces in October this year. Analysts believe that, against the backdrop of ongoing retaliatory actions between Israel and Iran, this is akin to adding fuel to the fire and will exacerbate regional tensions.  

美國中央司令部本月月初宣布，來自邁諾特空軍基地第五轟炸機(jī)聯(lián)隊的B-52轟炸機(jī)已抵達(dá)中東地區(qū)。這是2019年以來該型戰(zhàn)略轟炸機(jī)第一次部署至中東，也是今年10月美軍出動B-2轟炸機(jī)打擊胡塞武裝后，美戰(zhàn)略轟炸機(jī)再度出現(xiàn)在中東。分析人士認(rèn)為，在以色列與伊朗相互報復(fù)持續(xù)不斷的背景下，美國此舉無異于火上澆油，只會加劇地區(qū)緊張局勢。

In addition to the B-52 bombers, the US will deploy additional military assets to the Middle East including destroyers, fighter squadrons, and tanker aircraft in the coming months. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that these actions are aimed at countering the so-called threats from Iran. On October 26, Israel launched "precise and targeted strikes" on multiple Iranian military targets. In response, Iran vowed retaliation, declaring it would not relinquish its right to respond to what it termed Israel's "aggression" against its territory. Shortly before Iran marked the 45th anniversary of the takeover of the US Embassy, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of a "devastating response" against Israel and the US. The additional US military forces dispatched this time will complement the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit operating in the region as well as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployed in Israel, further enhancing the deterrence against Iran.

根據(jù)此前公布的計劃，除B-52轟炸機(jī)外，未來數(shù)月內(nèi)美國還將陸續(xù)向中東地區(qū)增派包括驅(qū)逐艦、戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)中隊、空中加油機(jī)在內(nèi)的軍事力量。美國國防部長奧斯汀稱這些動作是為了抵御所謂的伊朗威脅。10月26日，以色列對伊朗多個軍事目標(biāo)發(fā)動“精準(zhǔn)和定點打擊”。伊朗誓言報復(fù)，稱不會放棄回應(yīng)以色列對其領(lǐng)土“侵略”的權(quán)利。在不久前伊朗紀(jì)念占領(lǐng)美國大使館45周年活動前夕，伊朗最高領(lǐng)袖哈梅內(nèi)伊稱將對以色列和美國作出“毀滅性回應(yīng)”。而美國此次增派的軍力，將對其在中東地區(qū)附近執(zhí)行任務(wù)的“黃蜂”號兩棲攻擊艦和海軍陸戰(zhàn)隊第24遠(yuǎn)征部隊，以及在以色列部署的“薩德”反導(dǎo)系統(tǒng)等構(gòu)成補(bǔ)充，進(jìn)一步增強(qiáng)對伊朗懾壓態(tài)勢。

The increased US military presence in the Middle East also aims to address the temporary absence of a US aircraft carrier in the region. Since the latest round of the Palestine-Israel conflict last year, the US has maintained a continuous carrier presence in the Middle East, sometimes with two carriers simultaneously. However, with the departure of the USS Abraham Lincoln from the region in mid-November, there is currently no US carrier stationed there. Although some reports suggest that the USS Harry S. Truman will fill this gap, there is no confirmed arrival date for the carrier.

美國向中東增加軍事部署，也有填補(bǔ)該地區(qū)航母空缺的考慮。自去年新一輪巴以沖突爆發(fā)以來，美國持續(xù)在中東保持航母存在，甚至一度有兩艘航母同時在該地區(qū)活動。然而，隨著本月中旬“林肯”號航母結(jié)束任務(wù)駛離中東，這段時間，美國在該地區(qū)暫時出現(xiàn)了無航母的狀態(tài)。雖有報道稱，“林肯”號的空缺后續(xù)將由“杜魯門”號航母填補(bǔ)，但目前仍沒有后者抵達(dá)時間的確定消息。

This US military buildup in the Middle East reflects, to some extent, the challenges currently faced by Israel. Israel is now engaged in prolonged multi-front operations, and its air defense systems are considered by many experts to be inadequate against the intensive missile attacks from Iran. In this context, the US has provided significant military support to Israel including the deployment of the THAAD system, the strike against Houthi forces by B-2 bombers, and the deployment of B-52 bombers in the Middle East. The US is likely to commit additional military resources to the area in the future to fully support Israel and maintain its own regional dominance.

美國向中東增兵，在一定程度折射出以色列當(dāng)前所面臨的困境。當(dāng)前，以色列陷入曠日持久的多線作戰(zhàn)，其防空系統(tǒng)也被許多專業(yè)人士認(rèn)為無法有效防御來自伊朗的密集導(dǎo)彈襲擊。這種情況下，美國向以色列提供了諸多軍事支持，包括“薩德”入駐以色列，使用B-2轟炸機(jī)打擊胡塞武裝，派出B-52轟炸機(jī)部署中東，等等。為了給予以色列充分支持、維護(hù)自身霸權(quán)，美國未來很可能向該地區(qū)投入更多軍力。

While the US publicly claims that its military buildup aims to de-escalate the situation through deterrence, facts have shown that such actions often escalate tensions instead. The current round of the Palestine-Israel conflict has increasingly spilled over to other countries. From Yemen to Syria, from Lebanon to Iran, more and more countries are influenced by the spillover effects. The increased military aid to Israel and additional forces to the Middle East by the US will encourage Israel to adopt more aggressive military measures, bringing new shocks to the regional situation.

對于此次增兵，美國對外宣稱是為了以威懾手段促成局勢降級。然而事實早已證明，武力懾壓只會加劇緊張局勢。當(dāng)前，新一輪巴以沖突外溢明顯，從也門到敘利亞，從黎巴嫩到伊朗，越來越多的國家被裹挾其中。美國加大對以軍援、向中東地區(qū)增派兵力，只會增加以色列采取更加激進(jìn)軍事措施的冒險沖動，給地區(qū)形勢帶來新的沖擊。