President Joe Biden has announced that he has made a decision regarding the US response to the drone strike that killed three US troops in Jordan. However, he emphasized that he does not seek a wider war in the Middle East. The president did not provide further details about his decision, but it came after consultations with his top advisers at the White House.
According to John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, the US could respond with multiple actions rather than a single action. He stated, “It’s fair for you to expect that we will respond in an appropriate fashion and it is very possible that what you’ll see is a tiered approach here, not just a single action, but essentially multiple actions.”
President Biden had previously accused Iran-backed groups of perpetrating the attack, marking the first fatal attack on US forces in the Middle East since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. When asked about the possibility of a broader conflict, the president stated, “I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for.”
Although he did not directly blame Iran for the Jordan attack, Biden held Iran responsible in the sense that they supply weapons to the groups involved. However, he mentioned that further discussions would take place to establish a direct link to Iran. Tehran has denied any involvement and rejected US accusations of supporting the armed groups behind the strike.
As tensions escalate in the region, with recent attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Red Sea shipping and regular cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah, Biden’s administration is under increasing pressure to take action. Republicans have urged the president to punish Iran for the attack, with some even advocating for direct attacks on Iran.
The White House has pledged a “very consequential” response, but hitting Iranian territory could potentially lead to a wider regional conflict. Instead, strikes on Iranian-backed militias and potentially on Iranian Revolutionary Guard facilities in other countries are more likely, according to US media reports.
Amidst these tensions, the Kremlin, a close ally of Iran, has called for de-escalation in the Middle East. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “In our view, the overall level of tension is
