President Joe Biden said he has decided on how to respond to the deadly drone attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members and injured more than 40 others. The president did not elaborate on his plans but told reporters on Tuesday, Jan. 30, that he is not looking for a wider war in the Middle East.
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White House officials later said the response would likely come in multiple actions.
“It’s fair for you to expect that we will respond in an appropriate fashion and it is very possible that what you’ll see is a tiered approach here, not just a single action, but essentially multiple actions,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
Following Biden’s statement, the Iranian-backed militia in Iraq which the U.S. believes was behind the Jordan attack, Kataib Hezbollah, announced it is suspending all its military operations against U.S. troops in the region.
“As we announce the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces – in order to prevent embarrassment of the Iraqi government – we will continue to defend our people in Gaza in other ways,” said Abu Hussein al-Hamidaw, Secretary-General of Kataib Hezbollah.
The motive behind the group’s decision remains unclear but comes amid the Iraqi Prime Minister’s calls to prevent an escalation in the war. A Pentagon spokesperson responded to the group’s statement: “Actions speak louder than words.”
