ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran will not leave any threats unanswered, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander-in-chief said on Wednesday, responding to US threats of responding to an attack on its troops in Jordan.
“You have tested us and we know each other, we will not leave any threat unanswered,” IRGC Chief Hossein Salami said in a press conference. “We do not seek war but we are not afraid of war.”
Salami’s comments come after US President Joe Biden vowed to respond to an attack on US troops in Jordan that killed three US service members earlier this week, blaming Iran-backed groups for conducting the attack.
Iran soon refuted all claims that it was responsible for the attack on US troops, however in a brief interview with reporters on Tuesday, Biden reiterated that they hold Iran responsible.
“I do hold them responsible, in the sense that they're supplying the weapons to the people who did it,” Biden said, adding that his administration does not want a wider war in the Middle East.
“I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for,” he said right before boarding his helicopter to Florida to partake in his re-election campaign.
Biden is facing a tough choice ahead of elections, with conservative politicians calling for direct attacks on Iran in response to the Jordan attack.
Three US service members were killed and at least 25 others were wounded in a drone strike on US troops stationed in northeast Jordan.
The attack, marking the first loss of US military casualty since October 17, immediately pushed the Biden administration into vowing a response.
“Hit Iran now. Hit them hard,” Senator Lindesy Graham tweeted.
However, Iran’s claim that it has no authority over the activities of pro-Iran paramilitary groups was reiterated in a statement by the head of the pro-Iran Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah on Tuesday.
Hezbollah leader Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi not only ordered his forces to suspend military operations against US forces, but also denied that Iran controls the actions of the group.
The armed group’s suspension of its operations comes upon a direct request from Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, a well informed source told The New Region.
“Sudani told the armed groups that if they do not respond to the government’s request to halt attacks on the Americans, then that would mean they want him to resign from his position,” a source close to the Iraqi PM said on the condition of anonymity.
“Because he promised to urge both sides to refrain from attacking one another,” the source added.
Less than 24 hours later, the group’s supporters held a military parade in Baghdad, showcasing their force and stepping on the US flag as an act of defiance.
Supporters and members of the pro-Iran Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah on Wednesday conducted a military parade in #Baghdad, just one day after their leader Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi suspended the group’s operations against #US-led troops.
Supporters and members of the pro-Iran Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah on Wednesday conducted a military parade in #Baghdad , just one day after their leader Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi suspended the group’s operations against #US-led troops.
— The New Region (@thenewregion) January 31, 2024
📸/AFP #TheNewRegion #Iran #Iraq pic.twitter.com/mY2DyCMlVz
Unlike previous attacks on US troops in the Middle East, this time the fall of three American personnel has led to all armed groups to refrain from claiming responsibility, something they would jump to do when no US citizens were harmed.
This has made it harder for the US to know which group to exactly hold responsible, however the US has declared that the response will not be a one time response.
“It's very possible that what you'll see is a tiered approach here, not just a single action but potentially multiple actions,” AFP quoted US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby as saying.
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