President Biden Says He Has Decided How to Respond to Attacks That Killed Soldiers, But Not War

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden said he had made a decision on how to respond to the drone attack that killed three soldiers and injured dozens of others in Jordan, but was reluctant to trigger a new war in the Middle East region.

Speaking as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Florida after consulting with top White House advisers, President Biden did not elaborate.

President Biden, saying the United States does not need a broader war in the Middle East, echoed comments by other officials on Tuesday that Washington does not want war with Iran.

Although President Biden has considered his options and expects a backlash, the timing of his response has not yet been determined.

"I don't think we need a broader war in the Middle East. That's not what I'm looking for," said President Biden, as reported by Reuters, January 31.

President Biden answered "yes" when asked if he had decided how to respond to the attack.

When asked if Iran was responsible, President Biden added: "I hold them responsible in the sense that they supplied the weapons."

However, White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden flew to Florida that the United States could respond more than once.

"It would be fair for you to hope that we would respond in an appropriate way and quite possibly, what you will see is a tiered approach here, not just one action, but essentially multiple actions," he explained.

Three US soldiers were killed and at least 34 others were injured in a drone strike by Iran-backed militants in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, officials said Sunday.

President Biden himself is under pressure to provide a tough response, as Republicans accuse the Democratic president of allowing American soldiers to become easy targets.