Photo : KBS News
The conflict sparked by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran could undermine Washington’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region, The New York Times(NYT) assessed in an analysis published Friday.
The news analysis, written by the newspaper’s bureau chiefs in Seoul, Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh City along with a Washington-based national security reporter, said the war in Iran — now less than two weeks old — is already straining Washington’s security commitments in the Indo-Pacific.
The report cited the decision to relocate Patriot missiles and interceptors from the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) system hosted by South Korea, and a carrier strike group from the South China Sea.
It also talked about Australia’s deployment of aircraft, personnel and a supply of air-to-air missiles to the Middle East, and potential delays in the U.S. deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Japan and Taiwan.
The article also referenced President Lee Jae Myung’s remarks during a Cabinet meeting earlier in the week, where he said though Seoul opposes the relocation of the Pentagon’s air defenses, it also recognizes the practical limits of insisting on that position.