Watan-The agency “Bloomberg” claimed that U.S. President Joe Biden faces limited options to respond to the attack by the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” affiliated with Iran, on an American base in northern Jordan. It pointed to expectations of a stronger reaction than what Washington had previously done after the “Al-Aqsa storm.”
The agency reported, as monitored by (Watan), that President Joe Biden is now under greater pressure to directly confront Iran, after its proxies (Iraqi militias) killed 3 American soldiers and injured dozens in a drone attack on a military base near the Jordanian-Syrian border.
The recent attack, which resulted in the death of 3 soldiers and the injury of about 34 others, targeted a base housing American forces in Jordan (Tower 22). According to the agency, it threatens a broader regional conflict that Biden has always expressed a desire to avoid.
According to a source cited by the agency, who refused to reveal his identity, it is clear that any strike causing human losses among U.S. forces will lead to a stronger response than what the United States has done so far afteri October 7, 2023.
American options for responding to the Jordan attack
Among the prominent scenarios and possibilities presented by Bloomberg for the U.S. response to the recent attack in Jordan are:
- A secret operation in which the United States targets Iran and denies it, but sends a clear message that it has proxies like Iranian militias.
- Direct targeting of Iranian officials, as former President Donald Trump did when he ordered the killing of General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020.
Both of these possibilities would be highly consequential decisions, putting America in direct confrontation with Tehran, in addition to the economic repercussions.
There is also a third possibility that was circulating even before the American attack, which is the possibility of a direct military war against Iran. While considered unlikely, signs of it are increasing, according to Bloomberg.
The American policy of deterrence
Bloomberg states that Washington needs to act reasonably and wisely to restore deterrence to prevent another attack without escalating the conflict. Biden had mentioned that he would hold those responsible for the attack accountable at the time and in the manner he chooses.
The U.S. president blamed Iran-backed groups for the attack, adding in a statement quoted by The Guardian that “many” service members were also injured in the attack.
CNN reported that the attacks took place at Tower 22, a small site for U.S. forces as part of the mission to provide advice and assistance to Jordan.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton stated regarding the Jordan attack: “A devastating attack on Iranian terrorist forces in Iran or across the Middle East must be carried out.”
Republican Senator John Cornyn called for targeting Tehran in response to the attack against American soldiers, which he described as deadly.
It is noteworthy that the attack on American forces in Jordan is the first of its kind since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, and the first to result in American casualties.