The attack on Sunday that resulted in the death of three U.S. troops and wounded dozens is amplifying pressure on President Biden to take decisive action against Iran. He remains reluctant over concerns of escalating tensions into a broader war.
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 27: US President Joe Biden speaks to a crowd during the South Carolina Democratic Party First in the Nation Celebration and dinner at the state fairgrounds on January 27, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. South Carolina holds its Democratic party primary on February 3.
According to Reuters, Biden's response could range anywhere from targeting Iranian forces outside or inside Iran, or opting for a more careful punishment aimed solely at the Iran-backed militants responsible for the mission.
American forces in the Middle East have been attacked more than 150 times by Iran-backed forces in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and off the coast of Yemen since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October. However, until Sunday's attack on an outpost known as Tower 22 near Jordan's northeastern border with Syria, the strikes had not killed U.S. troops nor wounded so many.
Biden said the United States would respond but made no mention of details.
Republicans are pointing the finger at Biden for letting American forces become sitting ducks, waiting for the day when a drone or missile would evade base defenses.
"He left our troops as sitting ducks," said Republican U.S. Senator Tom Cotton. "The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran's terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East."
Republican Representative Mike Rogers, who leads the U.S. military oversight committee in the House of Representatives, said, "It's long past time for President Biden to finally hold the terrorist Iranian regime and their extremist proxies accountable for the attacks they've carried out."
"Unless The U.S. Is Prepared For An All-Out War..."
Renewing calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, Democrat Representative Barbara Lee said, "As we see now, it is spiraling out of control. It's beginning to emerge as a regional war, and unfortunately, the United States and our troops are in harm's way."
Reuters reported expert's caution that any strikes against Iranian forces inside Tehran could force Tehran to react strongly, intensifying the predicament and dragging the U.S. into a major Middle East war.
Charles Lister of the Washington-based Middle East Institute said a possible response would be to go after a specific target or higher-up militant from Iran-backed groups in Iraq or Syria.
"What happened this morning, was on a totally different level than anything these proxies have done in the past two to three months... (but) despite all of the calls to do something in Iran, I don't see this administration taking that bait," Lister told Reuters.
A U.S. defense official, speaking under anonymity, said it was unclear what the second and third-order effects would be in going after Iran. "Unless the U.S. is prepared for an all-out war, what does attacking Iran get us," the official said.
While the situation remains critical BBC reveals Iran is denying their involvement in a drone strike on a U.S. base near Jordan's border with Syria.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims it was behind the ambush.
The umbrella group surfaced in late 2023 and is composed of several Iran-affiliated militias operating in Iraq. It has claimed other attacks against U.S. forces in recent weeks.
In a statement obtained by BBC, the group said it had targeted three U.S. bases in Syria - identifying them as Shaddadi, Tanf, and Rukban. However, Rukban rests on the Jordanian side of the border with Syria.
The BBC's U.S. partner, CBS, reported that U.S. troops were in their sleeping quarters when the drone struck their Tower 22 base in the early hours of the morning. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the attack and urged Iran to "continue to de-escalate tensions" in the region.
"We stand resolutely with our allies to bring stability and peace to the region," he said.
Last month, the U.S. carried out airstrikes against Iran-affiliated groups after three U.S. servicemembers were injured, one critically, in a drone attack on a base in northern Iraq.
Earlier in January, one retaliatory U.S. strike in Baghdad killed a militia leader accused of being behind attacks on U.S. personnel.
Biden has said the U.S. "will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing."
