By Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Portal) – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he has decided how to respond to a drone strike that killed U.S. soldiers in Jordan and is considering punishing Iran-backed militias, without a major one to trigger war.
Biden spoke to reporters as he left the White House for a campaign trip to Florida and did not elaborate on his decision, which came after consultations with top White House aides.
He said the United States does not need a major war in the Middle East, echoing comments from other officials on Tuesday that the United States does not want war with Iran.
Biden has been weighing his options and expecting retaliation, but the timing of the response was unclear.
“I don’t think we need a major war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for,” Biden said.
Biden responded “yes” when asked if he had decided how he would respond to the attacks.
Asked whether Iran was responsible, Biden added: “I hold them responsible in the sense that they supply the weapons” to those who carried out the attacks.
A drone attack by Iranian-backed militants on U.S. troops in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded at least 34, officials said Sunday.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Steve Holland; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)