As three troops killed in Jordan are honored back home, the US prepares for a response

On Friday February 2, Joe and Jill Biden joined the families at the dignified transfer ceremony of the three service members killed in the Jordan attack as the US prepared  its response.

The three service members, all from Georgia, killed in the attack were William Jerome Rivers (46), Kennedy Sanders (24), and Breonna Moffett (23). All three were sergeants, as Sanders and Moffet were promoted posthumously.

The drone attack on a US base in Jordan, near the Syrian border, also injured more than 40 service members. It happened after three months of conflict in the Middle East.

US officials told media that the attack hit the troops' sleeping quarters overnight. The drone was confused with an American one that was returning to base at the same time.

The Biden Administration attributed the attack to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, and vowed to respond.

The response also hopes to deter any further attacks on US forces in the region. According to AP News, there have been 166 since October 18—most of them in Iraq and Syria.

According to the New York Times, the US struck 85 targets in Iraq and Syria against Iranian forces and militias.

The attack, which officials made clear was only the beginning, escalates the conflict in the region, but it is still far from GOP lawmakers' demands for a direct attack inside Iran.

According to AP News, Iran threatened to "decisively respond" to attacks directed at the country, signaling a possible further escalation.

Biden measured his words carefully. "The United States does not seek conflict," he said in a statement, "But if you harm America, we will respond."

The Biden administration navigated a challenging position with the chance of escalating a region-wide conflict. The US had avoided any broad responses until now.

The US has only struck against less significant targets, the most notable ones against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen after they attacked Red Sea cargo ships.

However, now the US has to retaliate to deter further escalation but also disincentivize any further attacks on US targets in the region.