This Friday, the United States launched retaliatory actions in the Middle East for a drone attack against a US base in Jordan last Sunday in which three US soldiers died, according to US media, citing government officials as a source. There has been no official announcement so far and hardly any details about the actions. Airstrikes have been launched in Iraq and Syria on militias allegedly backed by Iran.
The US response comes on the same day that President Joe Biden, accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden, joined grieving families at Dover Air Base (Delaware) for the transfer of the three US service members. killed in that drone attack in Jordan last weekend.
The ritual that has taken place in Delaware with the arrival of soldiers' coffins draped with the American flag has become relatively rare in recent years as the United States has withdrawn from conflicts abroad. Those three soldiers are the first American fatalities attributed to Iranian-backed militia groups in the Middle East since the war between Israel and Hamas began. The three who died on Sunday were from Georgia. Biden vowed Thursday to never forget their sacrifice for the nation, saying they “risked it all.”
This Friday he held conversations with relatives of the victims. He recalled that his son Beau died shortly after serving on a military mission. The president has always linked his death from brain cancer to the exposure he had abroad during his missions.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin avoided specifying response plans in a press conference on Thursday. “This is a dangerous time in the Middle East. We will continue to work to avoid further conflict in the region, but we will take all necessary steps to defend the United States, our interests, and our people. And we will respond when we choose, where we choose and how we choose. That’s what everyone is focused on here right now,” he said in his initial intervention.
Washington seeks that balance in its response: that it does not cause an escalation of the conflict, but that it is forceful enough to send a clear message and punish enemy positions to prevent new attacks.
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After being asked about retaliation plans, Austin avoided specifying: “We have not described what our response will be, but we want those responsible to be held accountable,” he said. “We will have a multi-level response and, again, we have the ability to respond multiple times, depending on what the situation is,” he added.
Dozens of US soldiers were injured in the drone attack on the Tower 22 base, near the Jordanian border with Iraq and Syria. The United States claims Iran is responsible for financing and arming the militants, while Iran has denied involvement.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, and the First Lady, Jill Biden, joined the grieving families at Dover Air Base this Friday for the transfer of the three American service members killed in that drone attack in Jordan last weekend.
The solemn ritual that has taken place in Delaware has become relatively rare in recent years as the United States has retreated from conflicts abroad. The deaths were the first American fatalities attributed to Iranian-backed militia groups in the Middle East since the war between Israel and Hamas began. The service members killed Sunday were from Georgia. Biden vowed Thursday to never forget his sacrifice for the nation, saying they “risked everything.”
[Noticia de última hora. Habrá ampliación en breve]
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