Mattis denies existence of Iranian 'land bridge' across Middle East
In an impromptu visit with reporters on Friday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis denied that Iran had succeeded in constructing a "land bridge" through the Middle East.
As the Pentagon prepares to release its first strategy under the Donald Trump administration later this month, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said today that Iran has not succeeded in creating a so-called land bridge through Syria to the Mediterranean Sea.
Over the summer, Iranian-backed groups helped Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad regain access to large oil fields near the Iraqi border and gave Tehran a chance to link up with Shiite militias in Iraq. The move stoked fears that Iran would use those gains to send more Shiite fighters into the region and establish a Shiite crescent all the way to Lebanon.
“I don’t think there’s a land bridge right now,” Mattis told reporters in an impromptu Pentagon press gathering.
Mattis said Iran’s progress in creating land links to Tehran had been stalled due to the ongoing fighting in the region against Islamic State (IS) remnants and other forces.
