The US will hold Iran responsible and respond decisively to any aggression, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Soltenberg.
"At the same time, we remain focused on our core objectives in the region, both in terms of the conflict in Gaza and broader efforts to build truly durable peace and security," Blinken said.
Blinken said the Biden administration is intent on standing up for US troops when they're attacked while also working to prevent the conflict from spreading.
Blinken said the US will respond to Iran at a "time and place" of our choosing.
US is determining appropriate response
"I can again tell you that as the President said yesterday, we will respond and that response could be multi-leveled, come in stages, and be sustained over time," Blinken said.
Blinken said the attacks on US personnel in both Iraq and Syria have been conducted by groups aligned with Iran and funded and equipped by Iran.
Blinken said US forces have a presence in Iraq and Syria to prevent the re-emergence of ISIS, and have nothing to do with the war in Gaza.
Soltenberg said Iran is responsible for destabilizing the whole region and threatening stability and security in the Middle East through its proxy groups.
"This underlines of course, also the risk of escalation, and therefore I welcome the efforts by the United States to address these risks," Stoltenberg said. "Iran's behavior reminds us of what a world without rules looks like: unpredictable and dangerous. A world where our security becomes more expensive."