John Kirby "Does Not Want War with Iran"
Blocking Escalation Possibility... International Oil Prices Fall
Considering Response Level Amid Pressure for Strong Countermeasures and Retaliation
The U.S. government has repeatedly confirmed its intention to retaliate for the drone attack by a pro-Iran armed group that killed three U.S. soldiers in Jordan, while clearly drawing a line against the possibility of escalation with Iran. As calls for a tough response to Iran grow louder and the White House faces comprehensive pressure, it has confirmed its stance of not wanting to escalate the conflict. Both the U.S. and Iran have sought to ease concerns about the spread of instability in the Middle East, causing international oil prices, which had risen the previous day, to fall.
John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, appeared on NBC's Today Show on the 29th (local time) and stated, "We do not want a war with Iran."
However, he added, "We will respond at the time and in the manner we choose, as we have done in the past," and said, "We continue to consider options. We want these attacks to stop."
By reiterating President Joe Biden's remarks from the previous day, the U.S. reaffirmed its intention to retaliate while drawing a line against the possibility of escalation in the Middle East. In particular, as voices within the U.S. calling for a tough response to Iran grow louder, the U.S. government, which is deliberating the level of response, appears to be focusing its retaliation on the perpetrators of this attack rather than Iran itself. Kirby's remarks came after the Iranian government denied involvement, and the situation is analyzed as both the U.S. and Iran working to prevent escalation. Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement dismissing the allegations of involvement as "baseless conspiracies by those interested in dragging the U.S. into a new regional conflict to deepen the crisis."
The White House has faced intense pressure from the Republican Party following this incident. Former President Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, which he created, that this attack was a "terrible and tragic result of Joe Biden's weakness and surrender," adding, "We are on the brink of World War III." Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also stated, "The Biden administration's efforts to prevent attacks linked to Iran have failed," and urged, "We must attack Iran immediately. We need to hit them hard."
As the U.S. government works to defuse the risk of escalation, international oil prices, which had risen the previous day, are now declining. The international oil benchmark Brent crude fell 0.7% to $82.9 per barrel compared to the previous session, while the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 0.9% to $77.29 per barrel.
Some analysts suggest that despite the White House's efforts, it will become increasingly difficult to avoid the spread of conflict in the Middle East. Jonathan Panikoff, a former senior intelligence officer at the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank, analyzed, "Iran is probably calculating that the U.S. is reluctant to respond and intervene in regional conflicts," adding, "The situation on the ground shows that regardless of U.S. intentions, it is becoming difficult for the U.S. to avoid regional conflicts and that it is now a primary target."
Earlier, the U.S. government announced that the U.S. military base "Tower 22" in northern Jordan was attacked by drones from a pro-Iran militia on the night of the 27th, resulting in the deaths of three U.S. soldiers and multiple injuries. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), U.S. authorities have tentatively concluded that the failure to defend against the drone attack was due to the inability to distinguish between friendly and enemy drones. It was also reported that no evidence was found indicating that Iran directed the attack from behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, the U.S. imposed sanctions on individuals involved in the assassination of Iranian dissidents on the same day. The State Department and Treasury Department, in cooperation with the British government, announced sanctions against Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti and his associates. The organization led by Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti, a drug trafficker, carried out assassinations and kidnappings of critics of the Iranian regime in multiple countries under the orders of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).
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