Democrat Warns U.S. Response to Jordan Attack Could Get 'Murky'

Senator Tim Kaine said in an interview with CNN on Tuesday morning that the U.S. response to the deadly drone attack in Jordan could get "murky" beyond the military actions that are determined as self-defense.

"A president always has the ability to act in self-defense and that definition of self-defense is somewhat broad. So those who have attacked our troops, if he knows who they are and believes they are going to do it again, the president can act to stop them, but beyond self-defense it gets murky," Kaine said.

"There is no current congressional authorization allowing war against these Iranian-backed militia groups or Houthis in Yemen in the Red Sea," Kaine said.

Newsweek has reached out to Kaine via email for comment.

Context

Three U.S. military personnel were killed and at least 34 injured on Sunday in a drone strike on a U.S. base in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border. President Joe Biden said that the attack was carried out by a "radical Iran-backed militant group operating in Syria and Iraq," although Iran denied any responsibility for the strike.

The deaths mark the first U.S. troops killed in the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.

"While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq," the president said in a statement released by the White House. "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 of our choosing."

What We Know

Biden and the Department of Defense have vowed to respond to these attacks.

"We know that Iran is behind it. And certainly, as we've said before...Iran continues to arm and equip these groups to launch these attacks, and we will certainly hold them responsible," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said during a press briefing.

In addition, Biden faces increasing demands to strike Iran but has been reluctant to hit the country amid fears it could spark a direct war, perhaps even a major conflict involving other Middle East nations.

Tensions have risen in the Middle East in recent months amid the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The conflict has pressured the Biden administration on its policies in the region, including from members of his own party who have called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Views

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed during a press conference Monday that Washington will "take all necessary actions to defend the U.S." in response to the attack in Jordan. John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesperson, has said, however, that the Biden administration does not want a "wider war with Iran" as a result of a U.S. response.

Meanwhile, amid several congressional Republicans calling on Washington to strike inside Iranian territory, Daniel R. DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, wrote in a Thursday opinion for Newsweek that striking Iran should not be an option.

"Calls for going above and beyond proportional retaliation, to targets inside Iran itself, will simply create more problems and compel the Iranians to respond directly. The U.S., then, would be juggling multiple adversaries simultaneously at a time when the White House apparently wants to prevent the cycle of violence from getting even worse," DePetris wrote.

What's Next?

Although it is still unclear what actions the Biden administration will take, Joseph Votel, a retired U.S. Army general who served as head of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Forces Command, previously told Newsweek that U.S. officials now are likely "analyzing and evaluating leadership, command and control and supply chain targets associated with the specific militia that orchestrated this attack."

Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment.

Meanwhile, in Tuesday's CNN interview, Kaine said he would like to see action taken against those directly engaged in the attack, adding that he doesn't want the U.S to be at war.

"The most likely response is action directly against the groups responsible for the attack and those are likely Iranian-backed militia groups in Syria near the Jordanian base where these service member lives were lost," Kaine said.

Update: 1/30/24, 11:05 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.