President Joe Biden has decided what course of action he will take to retaliate against the Iran-backed militants responsible for an attack that killed three American soldiers over the weekend.
Speaking to reporters in Florida on Jan. 30, President Biden said that he would not seek an all-out war with Iran.
“I do hold [Iran] responsible in the sense that they’re supplying the weapons to the people who did it,” he said.
“I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for.”
The president did not confirm if the administration had established a firm link between the Islamist regime in Tehran and the attack on U.S. troops but said that the “discussion” would be had.
White House Won’t Confirm Attackers
President Biden is coming under increasing pressure from lawmakers to respond to the drone attack on U.S. troops stationed in Jordan that killed three Army Reservists and injured 40 others.
Despite the president’s acknowledgment that he has decided how to respond, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the administration had not yet finished investigating what group was responsible for the attack.
Still, he said, it appeared consistent with attacks made by extremist militias supported by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“I’m not in a position today to confirm what group is responsible,” Mr. Kirby told reporters on Air Force One.
“Clearly, this has all the hallmarks of groups that are backed by the IRGC and Kata’ib Hezbollah as well.”
Mr. Kirby said that there was still an ongoing investigation into how a drone successfully made it to the military installation at Tower 22 in northern Jordan. He would not confirm initial reports that the drone was misidentified as an American unit.
“They’re doing the forensics to figure out how this happened,” Mr. Kirby said.
“We’re going to respond, and we’re going to do it in a way and a time of our choosing.”
Asked whether the president would commit to more forceful retaliation than he has in the past, Mr. Kirby said that President Biden would “do what he has to do.”
“The guiding principle is making sure that we continue to degrade the kinds of capabilities that these groups have at their disposal to use against our troops and our facilities, and to send a strong signal to their backers in the IRGC that these attacks are unacceptable.”
Mr. Kirby added that the president spent time on Tuesday morning speaking with family members of the three Americans killed, who were stationed with an Army Reserve unit from Georgia.
