President Joe Biden has revealed that he has determined the United States’ course of action in response to a drone strike in northern Jordan, which resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers and left numerous others injured.
The Iran-backed militia, Kataib Hezbollah, responsible for the attack, declared a suspension of all its military operations against US troops in the region, citing the intention to avoid “embarrassment” to the Iraqi government.
Biden squarely placed responsibility on Iran for supplying weapons to Kataib Hezbollah, the group behind the drone strike on a US base along the Jordanian-Syrian border.
When asked about a direct link to Iran in the Tower 22 base attack, Biden acknowledged the need for further discussion but emphasized his reluctance for a broader conflict in the Middle East.
Highlighting the delicate balance between deterring future attacks, addressing public sentiment, and avoiding direct conflict with Iran, Biden stated, “I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East.
That’s not what I’m looking for.”
US officials indicated that the response to the attack would unfold in phases rather than a singular action.
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, hinted at a tiered approach, expressing, “It’s fair for you to expect that we will respond appropriately, and it is very possible that what you’ll see is a tiered approach here, not just a single action, but essentially multiple actions.”
Despite the US holding Iran responsible, Tehran has denied any involvement in the Sunday attack, refuting accusations of supporting militant groups behind numerous strikes on US bases since October.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlined the US dilemma, emphasizing the commitment to both defending its people and preventing the conflict from escalating.
Blinken stated, “We will respond, we will respond strongly, we will respond at a time and place of our choosing.
And obviously, I’m not going to telegraph what we might do in this instance or get ahead of the president, but I can, again, tell you … we will respond.
And that response could be multi-levelled, come in stages and be sustained over time.”
Military analysts suggest that potential US actions might target members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) operating outside Iran, possibly in Syria.
However, such operations carry the risk of escalation, even if not within Iranian territory, caution the analysts.
