Biden is ready to punish Tehran
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has decided how he will respond to a drone strike that killed three American troops in Jordan, while insisting he does not want a wider war in the Middle East.
Facing growing pressure for a strong response in an election year, Mr Biden said he held Iran responsible for supplying the weapons to the people who carried out the deadly attack on a military base.
The White House has warned that “multiple actions” are likely in retaliation for the first fatal attack on US forces in the region since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October.
A leading pro-Iranian group in Iraq said it would halt attacks on US forces as military action loomed, but there was no sign it would be enough to stop Washington retaliating.
“Yes,” Mr Biden told reporters as he headed for campaign fundraisers in Florida when asked if he had decided on his response.
“I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for,” he added.
Republicans have urged the Democrat to punish Iran for Sunday’s drone strike on a US military facility near the Jordanian-Syrian border, with some urging strikes on Iran itself.
But Mr Biden’s administration believes hitting Iranian territory could cause the region to erupt, with strikes on allied militias and possibly on Iranian Revolutionary Guard personnel in other countries more likely, US media reported.
“It’s very possible that what you’ll see is a tiered approach here, not just a single action but potentially multiple actions,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
The President will attend the “dignified transfer” of the bodies of the three slain service members at an air base in Delaware on Friday.
Washington will also be careful not to undermine sensitive talks on a new deal to release hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a pause in Israel’s offensive on Gaza.