US says not seeking war with Iran

WASHINGTON: The White House on Monday emphasized that the US was not going to war with Iran but will continue trying to contain the conflict in the Middle East. “We are not looking for a war with Iran. We are not seeking a conflict with the regime in a military way. We are not looking to escalate here,” the NSC coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kerby said adding, “this attack over the weekend was escalatory, make no mistake about it, and it requires a response, make no mistake about that.”

He told reporters during the press briefing that President Biden and his national security team has been evaluating the situation to make a decision on how to respond.

“We will respond. We will do that on our schedule and our time, and we will do it in a manner of the president’s choosing as commander in chief. We will also do it fully cognisant of the fact that these groups, backed by Tehran, have just taken the lives of American troops,” Kerby said.

“These troops were conducting a wider mission in the region aimed at helping us, working with partners, to counter IS. Even as the Defence department gathers more information about the attack, that mission must and will continue,” he said.