A former British Army commander has urged the United States to inflict “severe violence” on Iran, or the world could spiral into World War 3. Colonel Richard Kemp made the remarks after the killing of three US troops by an Iran-backed group known as Islamic Resistance. It was the first lethal attack on American forces since war broke out between Israel and Hamas last October.
Colonel Kemp described that attack as a significant escalation. Even though it follows several similar assaults, this was the first to result in fatalities, and America should “respond in a decisive way,” he said. Kemp added that it is not enough to respond against proxies, but the US must respond against Iran itself and remind the Islamic state of America’s power.
Referring to the attacks by Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, Colonel Kemp added that the Iranians are provoking America and that a tit-for-tat reaction is not enough; America must demonstrate its strength, or greater violence in the Middle East will emerge, and this could escalate into a global conflict.
The Pentagon has named the three soldiers killed in the Islamic Resistance attack: 46-year-old William Jerome Rivers, 24-year-old Kennedy Ladon Sanders, and 23-year-old Breonna Alexsondria Moffett. All three were based in Georgia and part of Operation Inherent Resolve against the Islamic State.
The three soldiers died, and dozens more were injured, when a drone hit housing facilities where US troops were sleeping. The drone arrived alongside a returning American device, causing uncertainty and delaying a US response.
National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that President Biden wants to avoid conflict escalation in the region but has pledged to respond in a “time and manner of our choosing.” Mr. Kirby added that the US does not want war with Iran, but he would not confirm if or when the US intends to strike against the Iranian regime. He did, however, acknowledge that the death of American troops marks a major escalation.
