President Biden said Tuesday he has decided on a U.S. response to Sunday’s drone strike on a remote outpost in Jordan that killed three American soldiers and wounded more than 40 others, although the decision was not announced.
Asked by reporters outside the White House whether he had decided on how to respond to the deadly attack, Mr. Biden replied “yes” but declined to provide further details.
John F. Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, declined to elaborate on Mr. Biden’s comments other than to say it was “very possible” that the United States would implement “a phased approach” — “not only a single action, but … “potentially multiple actions” over a certain period of time.
Biden administration officials have blamed the attack on an explosives-laden drone that was most likely launched by an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq – the deadliest of the more than 160 militia attacks that the Pentagon says have hit U.S. forces in the region since then The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began almost four months ago.
Mr. Biden has vowed retaliation and met twice with his national security advisers this week to discuss targets in Syria, Iraq and Iran. He could order attacks on Iran’s proxy forces, a significant escalation of the brutal attacks the United States has carried out in Syria, Iraq and Yemen in recent weeks.
Or Mr. Biden could choose to attack Iran’s suppliers of drones and missiles, perhaps within Iranian territory, which poses a much higher risk. His first targets could well be members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, many of whom are stationed in Syria and Iraq, officials said.
Mr. Biden stressed Tuesday that he wants to avert a major regional conflict, telling reporters as he prepared to leave for a fundraiser in South Florida: “I don’t think we need a major war in the Middle East.” That is not what I’m looking for.”
Analysts at the Pentagon and its Central Command continued their investigation Tuesday into how the drone was able to evade air defenses at the small Tower 22 supply base in northeastern Jordan, near the border with Iraq and Syria.
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2024-01-31 08:05:08
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