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The Biden-Iran Retaliation Equation

The White House is reserving its right to strike back at Iran “at a time and in a manner of our choosing,” after the death of three U.S. service members in Jordan. But the stalling tactic is pissing off a lot of people in Washington who want Biden to send a more forceful message—fears of escalation be damned.

The Biden administration, of course, has been trying to prevent the escalating violence from spiraling into all-out regional war.
The Biden administration, of course, has been trying to prevent the escalating violence from spiraling into all-out regional war. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Julia Ioffe
January 30, 2024

If you feel like we’re on the verge of World War III, you’re not the only one. Over the weekend, three American service members were killed and dozens injured by a drone strike on Tower 22, an American military outpost in northeast Jordan. Apparently, the lack of anti-aircraft defense was due to a mixup: The enemy drone, allegedly launched by an Iran-backed militia, was approaching the American base at the same time that an American drone was heading home, and, mistaking the latter for the former, the U.S. military didn’t shoot it down.