Head of Islamic Revolutionary Guards defiant as US prepares ‘very consequential response’ to drone attack on Jordan base
The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has vowed the country is not afraid of war with the US, as the Pentagon weighs how directly to respond to the killing of three US servicemen in a drone attack in Jordan.
The IRGC commander-in-chief, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, said: “We hear some threats from American officials about targeting Iran. We tell them that you tested us and we know each other. We do not leave any threat unanswered, and we do not look for war, but we are not afraid of it. This is the well-known truth.”
It is expected that more Iran-backed militia in Iraq are preparing to follow the example of Kataib Hezbollah, the group blamed for the fatal drone attack on the US service base on Sunday, and suspend operations against US bases as they attempt to stave off an imminent American attack. Kataib Hezbollah, the most powerful member of the Islamic Resistance group in Iraq, announced the decision on Tuesday.
The UK defence secretary, Grant Shapps, has flown to Washington for talks about the crisis including the possible deployment of a British aircraft carrier to the Red Sea to act as a substitute for the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, which is due to end its tour of duty at an as yet unspecified point.
Houthi forces continued to fire missiles at US naval ships in the Red Sea, but no damage was caused.
On Tuesday, Kataib Hezbollah said it would halt its attacks on American forces in the Middle East.
“We’re announcing the suspension of our military and security operations against the occupying forces to avoid any embarrassment for the Iraqi government,” it wrote on its website.
