Joe Biden's Retaliation Against Iran—Three Possible Outcomes

President Joe Biden vowed a response at a time "of our choosing" as he faces a difficult balancing act in how to react to the drone attack that killed three American soldiers.

National Security Council (NSC) spokesman John Kirby said "we are not looking for a war with Iran" but the U.S. blames Tehran for the actions of its allies in Sunday's strike on the Tower 22 installation in northeast Jordan which also injured dozens of personnel.

The U.S. failing to act decisively risks sending a message of weakness that could lead to more attacks. But acting too forcefully could trigger escalation from Iran and its allies amid high regional tensions due to Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza and Houthis in Yemen attacking Red Sea shipping.

Biden's warning "is not meant as a Mafia-style threat," Andrew Borene, executive director at global threat intelligence firm, Flashpoint, told Newsweek. "It is about using a mandate to disrupt and degrade" the capabilities of Iran and its allied groups.