The Biden administration has indicated that it has decided on a response following the drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers, an attack that the administration has blamed on Iran-backed militia groups. President Biden, speaking to reporters at the White House before heading to a campaign event in Florida, confirmed that he had made a decision on a response but did not provide any details. The president expressed his reluctance to escalate tensions with Iran, stating, “I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for.”
The attack, which occurred after the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel, marked the first killing of American troops in a series of attacks against U.S. forces in the region. U.S. officials are still working to determine which Iran-backed group was responsible for the attack. While it is unclear what specific retaliatory plan President Biden has decided on, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby suggested that the response may come in phases, stating, “It’s very possible that what you’ll see is a tiered approach here, not just a single action, but potentially multiple actions over a period of time.”
The Pentagon identified the three soldiers killed in the attack as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett. This attack marks the first U.S. military fatalities in the Middle East from enemy fire since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began.
In addition to the attack in Jordan, Houthi militants in Yemen have been launching attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, leading to retaliatory strikes from the U.S. and its allies. Al-Asad Air Base in Western Iraq was also targeted by a rocket, but no damage or injuries were reported.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain high as the Biden administration determines its response. The president has held Iran responsible for supplying the weapons used in the attack but emphasized his desire to avoid further escalation. The situation in the Middle East continues to evolve, and the international community will be closely watching the U.S. response.
