Jordan base attack: What options does US have to respond? - BBC News

Failure to act decisively risks sending a message of weakness - act too forcefully and things could escalate.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, A US soldier walks towards a burning oil well in southern IraqBy Frank GardnerBBC security correspondentWashington now finds itself facing a dilemma.

President Joe Biden has promised a strong response to Sunday's deadly attack on a US military base in Jordan. But the challenge for the US is to find the right balance between deterrence and escalation.

Fail to act decisively and it risks sending a message of weakness that will only encourage more attacks. Act too forcefully and it could trigger an escalatory response from Iran and its allies.

So what are the options? And how does this work?

The US will already have a number of "on-the-shelf" military options to choose from. These have been drawn up by the US Department of Defense with intelligence input from the CIA and the National Security Agency. They are then presented to the US National Security Council and policymakers, with the president making the final decision and signing off on the chosen course.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68135774?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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