US President Joe Biden is facing increasing political pressure to escalate against Iran following the killing of American soldiers (Reuters)

The killing of 3 American soldiers and the wounding of dozens of others - yesterday, Sunday - at the hands of Iranian-backed militants has increased political pressure on US President Joe Biden to launch a direct strike on Iran, which is a risky step, as Biden is reluctant to take it for fear of escalating tensions and the outbreak of war on... Wider scope.

Experts point out that the options available to Biden to respond to this attack may vary between targeting Iranian forces, whether outside or even inside Iran itself, to choosing to carry out a more cautious retaliatory attack, limited to targeting those responsible for the attack supported by them.

American forces in the Middle East have been subjected to more than 150 attacks by Iranian-backed forces in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and off the Yemeni coast, since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip last October.

No previous attack resulted in the death of American soldiers or the injury of many, which gave Biden an opportunity to maneuver to adopt an American response targeting Iranian-backed forces, without risking entering a direct war with Tehran.

But yesterday Sunday's attack on a remote site, known as "Tower 22" near Jordan's northeastern border with Syria, will lead to different results, especially since it resulted in heavy losses among American soldiers.

Biden said the United States would respond, without providing further details. His administration confirmed that it is working hard to protect American forces around the world.

Biden puts American forces in danger

Republicans accused Biden of endangering American forces by not adequately protecting them, making them easy targets for attacks by drones or missiles, in reference to the incident that occurred yesterday, Sunday, in which a bomb-laden drone exploded near the base's barracks in the early morning hours.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton indicated that the only appropriate response to these attacks must be harsh military action against Iranian forces inside Iran and throughout the Middle East.

Republican Representative Mike Rogers, Chairman of the US Military Oversight Committee in the House of Representatives, called for action against Tehran. He added, "It has already been a long time. Let President Biden finally hold the terrorist Iranian regime and its extremist allies accountable for the attacks they carried out."

Former President Donald Trump, who aspires to compete with Biden in this year's presidential elections, described the attack as a result of Biden's weakness and surrender.

 Democratic Representative Barbara Lee expressed her concern about the failure of Biden's strategy to contain the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, as things began to get out of control.

For his part, Democratic Representative Seth Moulton, who served four terms in Iraq as a Marine, opposed Republican calls for war, pointing out that deterrence is difficult and war is worse.

Strikes against Iranian forces

Experts warn that any strikes against Iranian forces inside Iran may force Tehran to respond forcefully, which will escalate the situation in a way that could drag the United States into a major war in the Middle East.

Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said that the strike inside Iran may raise questions in Tehran about the regime's survival. Lord pointed out that when operations are carried out openly, this may represent a major escalation for Iran.

Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute in Washington noted that a possible response could include targeting important sites or prominent figures in Iranian-backed groups in Iraq or Syria.

He stated that these morning attacks are completely different from what has been happening over the past few months, and despite increasing pressure to take action inside Iran, he does not believe this administration will do so.

A US Defense Department official said, without revealing his identity, that it is not clear what the second and third effects of pursuing Iran might be. The official added that if the United States is not ready for an all-out war, there is no point in launching an attack on Iran.

However, Lord and other experts acknowledge that Israel has struck Iranian targets in Syria over the years, without Iran stopping, including the killing of 4 Iranian Revolutionary Guard officials in Damascus on January 20.

The United States has also struck Iran-linked targets outside Iran in the past few months. For example, the US military announced last November that it had targeted a facility used by Iranian-backed groups and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard itself.

Despite this, Lister says there is past record showing that Iran may sometimes retreat after strong strikes, such as the attack on General Qasem Soleimani in the 2020 operation.

Source: Reuters