Biden's Warning to the 'Ayatollah': Continued Attacks on U.S. Positions Will Not Go Unanswered

On Wednesday, the President of the United States stated that if Iran or its proxy groups continue their attacks on U.S. positions in the Middle East, the Islamic Republic will face a decisive response from Washington. Joe Biden, during a press conference with the Prime Minister of Australia at the White House, emphasized: "My warning to the Ayatollah is that if they continue their actions against our forces, we will respond, and he should be prepared." He also stressed that this U.S. action would have nothing to do with Israel, noting: "There is no possibility of returning to the previous conditions that existed before Hamas's attack on Israel; Israel has the right to respond to Hamas's attacks but must protect civilians." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also warned the Islamic Republic and its proxy forces during a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York that if Tehran or its affiliates attack American forces anywhere, Washington will "swiftly and decisively" defend its forces and security. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, announced on Tuesday the deployment of a squadron of F-16 fighter jets to the Middle East to enhance the combat capabilities of American forces for self-defense. The Pentagon also stated that this move was in response to multiple attacks by Iran-backed militia groups on American forces following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. According to U.S. officials, since the beginning of the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza on October 7, American forces in Iraq and Syria have repeatedly been targeted, resulting in injuries to four U.S. service members and five military contractors. Last week, an American warship also shot down over 12 drones and four cruise missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthis off the coast of Yemen.