US Defense Secretary: No Tolerance for Soldiers Killers

Shafaq News/ The US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that there would have to be no tolerance for those who killed the American soldiers in Jordan.

After a meeting with his British counterpart Grants Shapps, Austin stated, "The president and I will not tolerate attacks on US forces from Iran-backed terrorist groups or anyone else." adding, "As President Biden has said, we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing."

On the situation in the Red Sea, the US Secretary said, "We can see Iran's hand here, as well — providing the Houthis with advanced conventional weapons, intelligence, and expertise."

Austin called for an end to the supply of weapons to Houthis. He urged restraint to prevent conflict escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, affirming ongoing talks with Israel to ensure the conflict does not broaden.

Earlier, the United States officially attributed the recent drone attack in Jordan, which resulted in the death of three US service members, to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI).

IRI term commonly refers to Tehran's military allies in Iraq, including powerful groups such as Kataeb Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujabaa.

Following this announcement, CBS News reported that the United States has approved plans for multi-day strikes in Iraq and Syria, targeting various locations, including Iranian personnel and facilities.

The report did not provide specific details on the timeline for these strikes.

The drone attack marked the first deadly strike against US forces since the Israel-Gaza war in October, escalating tensions in the region. While Iran denies any involvement in the Jordan attack, the US holds the Islamic Resistance in Iraq responsible.

In a statement, Iran's Mission to the United States dismissed the claims, stating that Iran had no connection to the attack on the US base. It emphasized that the conflict between US forces and regional resistance groups led to retaliatory attacks, but Iran views the accusations as baseless. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq asserts its autonomy in decision-making.