US says it is not seeking war with Iran after Jordan attack

The attack on Sunday killed three US soldiers and wounded more than 40 troops. It was the first deadly strike against US troops since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October and marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East.

“Let me start with my outrage and sorrow (for) the deaths of three brave US troops in Jordan and for the other troops who were wounded,” Austin said at the Pentagon.

“The president and I will not tolerate attacks on US forces and we will take all necessary actions to defend the US and our troops,” Austin added at the start of meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Pentagon.

“As the president said yesterday, we will respond and that response could be multi-leveled, come in stages and be sustained over time,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

But officials across the Biden administration said they did not want the situation to escalate. The Pentagon suggested Iran didn’t want a war either.

“We certainly don’t seek a war and frankly we don’t see Iran wanting to seek a war with the United States,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters. She added that the Pentagon believed Iran did not want a war either.

“We are not seeking a conflict with the regime in the military way,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said, adding that Biden was working his way through response options.

The United States is trying to determine exactly why the nearly 350 troops at the base in Jordan, known as Tower 22, were unable to stop the drone.