The three US soldiers killed by Iranian-backed militants on Sunday are increasing political pressure on President Joe Biden to take direct action against Iran, with Biden’s response options ranging from targeting Iranian forces inside or outside Iran, to a more cautious response attacking the Iranian-backed militants responsible, on Tuesday, the 30th of January, reports Reuters.
Iranian-backed forces have attacked US forces in the Middle East more than 150 times since the Israel-Hamas war in October, but until Sunday’s attack on Tower 22 near Jordan’s northeastern border with Syria, the strikes had not killed US soldiers or wounded that many.
Biden has said the US would respond without giving further details,
writes Reuters.
Republicans accuse Biden of leaving American forces vulnerable, saying the US should attack Iran. They advocate a strong military response against Iran, demanding that Iran and its allies take responsibility.
Former US President Donald Trump, who hopes to oppose Biden in this year’s presidential elections, has described the attack as “a consequence of Joe Biden’s weakness and surrender”.
Democratic Representative Seth Moulton, a Marine veteran, has warned against Republican calls for war with Iran, stressing that deterrence is difficult but war is more dangerous and argued for a strategic response that would meet US conditions and plans.
Experts warn that any strike against Iranian forces inside Iran
could lead Tehran to respond with force, escalating the situation in the Middle East, while suggesting as a possible response to target an important target or a high-value militant group among Iranian-backed groups in Iraq or Syria.
A US defence official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear what the US could gain by attacking Iran “unless the US is prepared to go to all-out war”, said the official.
Experts point out that Iran has shown that it can “blink first” during certain periods of tension, noting successes in striking Iranian groups outside Iran, pointing to a possible strategy of retaliation.
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