President Biden has decided his response strategy to the unmanned aerial drone attacks on a US base in Jordan, which resulted in the death of three American soldiers on Sunday.
When leaving the White House for Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday morning, Biden told reporters on the south lawn that he holds Iran accountable for supplying weapons to the assailants but stopped short of directly holding them responsible, stating, “we’ll have that discussion.”
Asked if he has made a decision on how to respond to the attack in Jordan, Biden replied with “Yes.” President however did not reveal any specifics about the US response strategy yet.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Al-Shaddadi base in Syria, as well as the Al-Rukban and Al-Tanf bases at the Syria-Jordan border, and the Zevulun naval facility in Israel on Sunday. However, it remains unclear if they are also behind the attack on U.S. troops on Sunday.
Biden attributed the unmanned aerial drone attack to “radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”
Biden also said he is not looking for conflict in the Middle East, saying, “I don’t think we need a wider war.”
The three American troops were the first to be killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7.
The President’s decision follows the vow he made on Sunday while visiting South Carolina, where he stated, “We shall respond.”
President Biden convened a meeting with his national security team Monday morning in the White House Situation Room. According to John Kirby, Biden was engaged in discussions with his national security team, “weighing the options before him.”
