NEW YORK: US President Joe Biden and his administration officials have discussed a military response to the recent attack on a US military...
NEW YORK: US President Joe Biden and his administration officials have discussed a military response to the recent attack on a US military base near the border between Jordan and Syria by pro-Iranian groups, Axios reported, citing sources.
The officials met on January 28 to discuss a "significant military response" to the militias, according to the news website.
"We don't want war but those who are behind this attack need to feel our response," a US official told Axios.
CIA Director Bill Burns joined some of the consultations remotely from Paris, where he had met with Qatar's prime minister and chiefs of the Israeli and Egyptian intelligence services to discuss a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in exchange for hostages held in Gaza, according to the report.
The news website reported that the White House and the Pentagon are trying to find an option that would contain the rising risk of a regional war. But as Axios said, the Biden administration is under pressure from Republicans, some of whom are demanding strikes on Iran.
Earlier, sources told Bloomberg that the US is considering various options to retaliate for the attack on its base, including a covert operation against Iran.
On January 28, the US Central Command said a drone attack on the Western coalition’s military base in the Al-Tanf area near the Syria-Jordan border killed three US servicemen and wounded 25. CNN later reported that the number of injured soldiers increased to 34. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin vowed to retaliate against Iranian-backed militias at the right time, in the right place.
-News Feed
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