Biden warns US against responding to Iranian actions, including drone strikes

US President Joe Biden said, on Sunday, that the United States will respond to the measures taken by Iran against Washington’s interests, including the recent strikes with drones.

“As for how to respond to their actions against the interests of the United States, whether it’s drone strikes or something else, we will respond,” Biden said at a press conference after the G20 meeting. Rome summit.

“We will continue to respond,” he added.

Biden’s statement comes after US officials blamed Iran for a drone attack on a US outpost in Syria. On Monday, authorities said the United States believed Iran provided resources and encouraged the attack, but that the drones were not launched from Iran.

No deaths or injuries were reported as a result of the October 20 attack.

In response, the US Treasury announced, on Friday, the imposition of new sanctions on two senior members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and two affiliated companies for supplying rebel groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Ethiopia with drones and related materials.

American and coalition forces are stationed in Al-Tanf to train Syrian forces in patrols to confront the jihadists of the Islamic State. The base is also located on a highway that serves as a vital link for Iranian-backed forces from Tehran to southern Lebanon and Israel.

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Pentagon spokesman John Kirby declined to provide further details when asked about the report during a news conference on Monday. He described the attack as a “complex, coordinated and deliberate attack” and said that the United States had witnessed similar attacks before by Iranian-backed Shiite militias. But he did not go into details and said he did not have any updates on the munitions used in the attack.

Kirby also declined to say whether the forces had received advance warning or whether the United States intended to launch a military response.

Referring to the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd Austin, Kirby said, “The protection and security of our forces abroad remains a major concern for the Secretary, and if there is a response, it will be at the time, place and method of our choosing. We certainly wouldn’t expect these kinds of decisions.” “.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on February 17, 2021 (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)

Pro-Iranian media was saying that the attack on Al-Tanf was carried out by “Syria’s allies”, apparently referring to Iranian-backed groups, in response to an attack that took place a few days ago near the historic Syrian city. Destroy. Israel has been blamed for the attack. US officials say the United States did not participate.

The Tanf attack came at a time of rising tensions with Iran. The Biden administration said this week that international diplomatic efforts to bring Iran back into negotiations to return to the 2015 nuclear deal are at a “critical point” and that patience is running out. But Washington is also eager to bring Iran back to the negotiating table.

A US military post in Al-Tanf, southern Syria, October 22, 2018 (AP / Lolita Baldor)

The last major Iranian attack on US forces was in January 2020, when Tehran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. US and coalition forces were warned of the arrival of missiles and managed to hide, but more than 100 US service members suffered brain injuries from the blasts.

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This attack came in response to a US drone strike earlier that month near Baghdad airport that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Two months after Assad’s offensive, US warplanes bombed five sites in retaliation, targeting members of Iran-backed Shiite militias believed to be responsible for the January missile strike.

Sacha Woodward

"Wannabe writer. Lifelong problem solver. Gamer. Incurable web guru. Professional music lover."

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