Tel Aviv, Israel

United States President Joe Biden said on Tuesday (Jan 30) that he has decided how to respond to the drone attack on US troops in Jordan, which killed three service members. Biden also added that Iran is to blame for supplying weapons to the militant groups. 

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Biden responded to the reporters as he left the White House on a campaign trip to Florida. He was asked whether or not he had made a decision on his response. He said, "Yes." 

The US president also asked whether Iran was to blame, and he said, "I do hold them responsible, in the sense that they're supplying the weapons to the people who did it." 

Biden also said that the US does not need a wider war in the Middle East. 

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Also read: CCTV footage shows undercover Israeli troops raiding West Bank hospital, killing three Palestinians 

In an election year, Biden and his party have been facing growing pressure to punish Iran for the drone strike on a US military facility near the Jordanian-Syrian border on Sunday, with some urging direct strikes on Iran itself.

However, US media reported that Biden's administration believes hitting Iranian territory could escalate tensions, with strikes on Iranian-backed militias and possibly on Iranian Revolutionary Guard facilities in other countries more likely. 

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Meanwhile, the White House had said on Monday that the US will aim at a "very consequential" response. 

While talking about links to Tehran, Biden said that the US would have that "discussion" when asked if a direct link to Iran had been established. 

Also read: Who is Kataib Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group allegedly behind strike on US troops in Jordan 

Watch: US bases attacked in Jordan: Officials say drone 'mix-up' led to the attack 

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Middle East crisis 

In the past few weeks, tensions have escalated sharply in the Middle East (West Asia) region, especially after the Jordan attack in the already unstable region after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's devastating response in Gaza. 

Global calls have been made to opt for a diplomatic channel and avoid escalation, with Russia, a close ally of Iran, on Tuesday calling for de-escalation.

"In our view, the overall level of tension is very alarming and, on the contrary, now is the time for steps to de-escalate tensions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

"This is the only thing that can help us prevent further spreading of the conflict, especially the Middle East conflict, and somehow achieve de-confliction and de-escalation," Peskov added. 

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. 

(With inputs from agencies)