Updated 18:13 IST, January 30th 2024
US Says ‘Not Seeking War With Iran’ After 3 Troops Killed by Proxy in Middle East’
US national security council spokesperson said that US will not have a direct confrontation with the Islamic Republic.

The White House National Security official, John Kirby, on Monday said that the United States is not seeking a war with Iran, and is not looking to escalate the regional conflict that has rendered the Middle East destabilised.
In an interview on NBC television, Kirby remarked on US President Joe Biden’s warnings about “very consequential response” to the killing of 3 American troops at the Al-Tanf base outpost near the border of Syria and Jordan. “United States is not seeking conflict with Iran or regional escalation,” Kirby said, as pressure mounted on the US President to strike Iran. US national security council spokesperson said that US will not have a direct confrontation with the Islamic Republic.
"We are not pursuing war with Iran nor escalating tensions in the region. Despite ongoing attacks, we are exploring available options." Kirby said. He underscored the desire for a stable, secure, and prosperous Middle East as he urged Iran to curb the attacks on the US troops. Biden and US CENTCOM confirmed in an official statement that while three troops were killed, at least 34 others or more were wounded in the Middle East as a drone hit the base by the Iran-backed militants in northeastern Jordan.
Iran says US making ‘unfounded accusation’
Iran denied any role in the kamikaze drone attack by the pro-Iranian militias on a US army position at an outpost near the Jordan-Syria border. Islamic Republic distanced itself from the drone attack, saying that US claims are an "unfounded accusation" that are aimed at “dragging" Tehran into a conflict. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Naser Kanani said that "resistance groups in the region do not take orders from Iran for their decisions and actions.”He also claimed that "the repetition of baseless accusations against Iran is a projection and a conspiracy by those who have an interest in dragging the United States into a new battle in the region.”
US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that the US "will respond" to the drone strike near the Syrian border that has killed three American troops and injured several others. Biden accused the Iranian-backed militias the deaths. Biden travelled to South Carolina, and asked for a moment of silence during an appearance at a Baptist church banquet hall.
Published 18:13 IST, January 30th 2024