NEW YORK – US President Joe Biden met with key members of his national security staff Monday morning, as pressure mounts from Capitol Hill to retaliate against Iran, after three US service members were killed over the weekend in Jordan by Iranian-backed troops.White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said Biden is “weighing all his options” of response. According to an announcement from the White House, Monday’s meeting included National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood Randall, and NSC Coordinator for the Middle East Brett McGurk.
Kirby said the US is not looking to escalate to a war but did not rule out a direct attack in Iran.
Both Republican and Democratic senators are calling for strong responses against Iranian forces, though leading Democrats have largely avoided using language calling for direct attacks."The President will choose for himself how he wants us to respond. And as I said, in the opening statement, we'll do it fully cognizant of the fact that now American lives have been taken," Kirby said. "So his decisions, whatever they are, will be informed by all those circumstances."
Kirby gave a conflicting response on how the hostage negotiations could be impacted by the attack in Jordan or the US' response.
Kirby said the attack in Jordan shouldn't complicate the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, but also that diplomatic efforts "might be affected by events elsewhere in the region" and "what might come as a result of that."
Kirby was hounded on Biden's authority to take action against Iran without further congressional authorization.
Biden is "comfortable that he has the appropriate legal authorities to act and self defense of our ships, our sailors and our troops and our facilities at sea," Kirby said.
Kirby said Biden will be doing "appropriate notifications" in Congress.
Kirby defended the administration's actions against Iranian proxy groups, citing strikes and economic sanctions against the Houthis in Yemen
"The idea that we have somehow laid down and not pushed back on Iran is simply not borne out by the facts," Kirby said.
Kirby said Biden is not looking at polling or considering the electoral calendar as he's considering his response, calling suggestions to the contrary "offensive."
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that Biden supports American's right to protest, and that he'll hear what protestors have to say as long as they do it peacefully.
US politicians respond to Iran attack
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the US should respond with direct attacks on Iran, according to a statement from his office on Sunday.
“It is time to act with purpose and resolve in response to attacks that have tragically taken the lives of American service members and injured scores more,” Wicker said.
“We must respond to these repeated attacks by Iran and its proxies by striking directly against Iranian targets and its leadership. The Biden administration’s responses thus far have only invited more attacks. It is time to act swiftly and decisively for the whole world to see.”
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) echoed Wicker’s call: “The Biden administration can take out all the Iranian proxies they like, but it will not deter Iranian aggression. I am calling on the Biden administration to strike targets of significance inside Iran, not only as reprisal for the killing of our forces but as deterrence against future aggression.”
“The only thing the Iranian regime understands is force. Until they pay a price with their infrastructure and their personnel, the attacks on US troops will continue,” Graham said. “Secretary Austin’s efforts to deter aggression against our forces in the region have failed miserably. I’ve long since lost confidence in the Biden national security team to deter Iran. If they do not change their policies now, more American service members in the region will pay the price.
“Hit Iran now. Hit them hard,” he said.
Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said the only answer must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces both in Iran and across the Middle East. “Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unworthy of being commander-in-chief,” Cotton said.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the time to start taking Iranian aggression seriously was before Americans were killed. “The entire world now watches for signs that the president is finally prepared to exercise American strength to compel Iran to change its behavior. Our enemies are emboldened,” McConnell said. “And they will remain so until the United States imposes serious, crippling costs – not only on front-line terrorist proxies, but on their Iranian sponsors who wear American blood as a badge of honor.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed did not say how the US should respond, only that the “department of defense is still gathering all the facts from this attack. I am confident the Biden Administration will respond deliberately and proportionally.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut on the Senate Armed Services Committee, posted on X, saying a “strong, surgical” response is vital against Iran-backed forces, though he did not specify if that response should include direct force. “Iran remains responsible for its proxies and will be held accountable,” Blumenthal said.