White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that attacks on U.S. troops by Iranian-backed groups have increased recently.
"I certainly can't deny the fact that there have been a series of attacks now, increasingly lethal, over weeks and months, which is why the president is going to be reviewing what the appropriate response is going forward," Kirby said on CNN's This Morning.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden confirmed an attack on U.S. troops in Jordan, which he said was carried out by "radical, Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq." The attack resulted in three deaths and dozens of injuries.
Biden said that "the three American service members we lost were patriots in the highest sense."
"Together, we will keep the sacred obligation we bear to their families. We will strive to be worthy of their honor and valor. We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt, we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing," the president said.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department via email for comment.
During his appearance on CNN, Kirby echoed Biden's comments, saying, "We will respond."
He went on: "We'll do it in a time and matter of our choosing, but we know the serious consequences here of this particular attack.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaan denied that Iran was involved in the attack, saying his country was "not involved in the decision-making of resistance groups," according to the BBC.
The BBC also reported that Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a collection of Iraqi armed groups that are backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Speaking with Newsweek over the weekend, Barbara Slavin, a fellow with the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., an international security think tank, said, "Unfortunately the United States is going to feel obliged to retaliate in some way. And of course that increases the chances that the escalation just gets worse and worse."
Shortly after the attack on the U.S. troops in Jordan, a number of Republican lawmakers called on Biden to take stronger action against Iran in response.
"Target Tehran," Republican Senator John Cornyn wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also called for a response to the attacks, saying, "The only thing the Iranian regime understands is force. Until they pay a price with their infrastructure and their personnel, the attacks on U.S. troops will continue."
He added: "Hit Iran now. Hit them hard."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
