An Iranian official on Tuesday night warned that the country will retaliate against any attack, hours after President Joe Biden said he has made a decision on how to respond to the killing of three U.S. soldiers in Jordan in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants.
FILE PHOTO: Permanent Representative of Iran Amir Saeid Iravani said any attack against the country ... [+]
Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s envoy to the U.N. told reporters that giving a “strong response to enemies” who target the country is “the fundamental policy of Iran,” the state-controlled Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
Iravani said any attacks on “Iran’s territory, or its interests or citizens abroad” will face a “decisive response.”
The diplomat also told reporters that no messages have been exchanged between Iran and the U.S. on the matter, dismissing reports of the two countries communicating via intermediaries.
Iravani also wrote to the U.N. Security Council president saying his country is not responsible for the actions of any person or group in the region where the U.S. troops were attacked.
Earlier Tuesday, while departing the White House, Biden responded to a reporter’s question on whether he had decided on a response to the Jordan base drone attack with a “Yes.”
Before departing from the White House for a campaign event on Monday, Biden said: “I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East…That’s not what I’m looking for.”
Three U.S. soldiers were killed and at least 25 others were injured on Sunday after a drone strike targeted Tower 22, a small military outpost in northeast Jordan, near the borders of Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and its allies strongly condemned the attack which Biden blamed on “radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.” The president also the U.S. would retaliate against the perpetrators of the attack “a time and in a manner our choosing.” Tehran, however, rejected allegations about its involvement saying “resistance groups in the region do not take orders from…Iran in their decisions and actions.” The Iranian foreign ministry said it is not involved in the militant groups’ decision on how “they support the Palestinian nation or defend themselves and the people of their countries in the face of any aggression and occupation.”
Citing an unnamed U.S. official, ABC News reported that the U.S. response to the attacks will be spread out over several days and involve strikes on “multiple targets.” It is unclear if any of the targets in question are on Iranian soil.
Iran Denies Involvement In Drone Attack That Killed Three U.S. Soldiers In Jordan (Forbes)
Iran’s Connection To Hamas, Hezbollah, The Houthis—And Now 3 U.S. Soldier Deaths (Forbes)