Defense Secretary
Lloyd Austin said the U.S. will have a “multi-tiered response” to attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East, days after three service members were killed in Jordan.
Austin said the U.S. aims to “take away even more capability than we’ve taken in the past” from those responsible for the deadly attack, which also left dozens injured.
According to CBS News, U.S. officials said there are plans for a series of strikes against targets, including Iranian personnel, in Syria and Iraq. U.S. officials told CBS that weather will be a key factor in the timing of strikes.
The Biden administration has blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group comprised of several Iran-backed militia groups, for the attack over the weekend. Iran has denied involvement.
Austin, speaking during his first press conference at the Pentagon since being hospitalized last month, said the U.S.
“will continue to work to avoid a wider conflict in the region. But we will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our interests, and our people.”
Related: Austin apologizes for secret hospital stay: ‘I did not handle this right’
Regarding Iran’s involvement in the Jordan attack, Austin said the U.S. doesn’t know how much Iran knew about the suicide drone strike but that “it really doesn’t matter, because Iran sponsors these groups, it funds these groups … I think without that facilitation, these kinds of things don’t happen.”
The administration stressed this week it’s not seeking broader war with Iran.
