Biden says he's decided how to respond to deadly Jordan attack
President Biden told reporters Tuesday that the White House has decided on a response to the deadly drone attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers and wounded dozens of others.
Why it matters: The administration has stressed it wishes to avoid the risk of a wider regional war in the Middle East.
- Biden previously vowed to respond to the attack.
State of play: Asked if he had decided on a U.S. response to the attack, Biden replied "yes." He did not elaborate on what the plan would be.
- Biden added that he holds Iran responsible for the deadly attack because of the country’s role in supplying weapons “to the people who did this.”
- "I don't think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That's not what I'm looking for," Biden said.
The big picture: There have been more than 150 attacks on U.S. troops and U.S. and coalition facilities in Iraq and Syria since October, the Pentagon said Monday.
- However, the drone strike on a U.S. outpost in northeast Jordan over the weekend was the first to kill U.S. service members, as well as the first such attack in Jordan, the Pentagon added.
Zoom out: The start of Israel-Hamas war in October sent shockwaves through the Middle East and the U.S. has become steadily more involved in conflicts in the region.
- In addition to fielding attacks by pro-Iranian militias in Syria and Iraq, the U.S. has recently been involved trying to broker a deal to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
- The U.S., alongside the U.K., has also twice executed airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen this month.
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Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details and background.