While officials hope the US does not launch a war with Iran, Joe Biden’s reaction to this weekend’s deadly attack on a US military base in Jordan could have far-reaching implications in the region, ABC News reports.
Experts believe Biden intends to pacify Iranian-backed groups operating in Iraq, Syria and Yemen without plunging the Middle East into war. Shortly after a drone attack in Jordan that killed three US service members and wounded 40 others early Sunday morning, Biden vowed he would take responsibility and put the blame on Iranian-backed militants.
The White House claimed on Wednesday that US intelligence knew exactly which militants were responsible, setting the stage for an attack that officials said could happen at any time. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated the same day:
“We believe that the attack in Jordan was – was a plan resourced and facilitated by an umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which contains multiple groups, including Kataib Hezbollah.”
As for the conclusion that the drone attack in Jordan was facilitated by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a senior State Department official stated that the US was still developing its assessment and could still conclude that a specific group played a role in the attack.
Although Iran has denied its involvement, a senior State Department official claimed that after the October 7 Hamas attack that triggered the war with Israel, the US made it clear to Iran that America would hold it responsible for the actions of its proxies.
Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, argued that a US attack should have happened by now and that a direct hit should be made on Iran’s leadership and weapons depots.
Every day that passes without a strong and unambiguous reprisal for the deaths of American service members invites our enemies – and allies – to question this administration’s resolve.
For its part, Iran warned that its own response would be “decisive and immediate.” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stated:
“The US should stop using the language of threats and pinning the blame on others and rather focus on a political solution. Iran’s response to threats will be decisive and immediate.”
Challenging Iran’s response and provoking a wider conflict is a concern for the US, but experts and government officials say the US must act. Retired General Roger Abrams declared:
We’ve been trying to determine Iran’s red line for many years. And we haven’t found it.
