The US will defend its personnel and interests, and has taken significant action to deter groups and degrade their capabilities in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, he said.
President Biden has been “very clear that we want to prevent broader escalation” in the region but has also warned that the US will respond “strongly” to anyone who will try to use the crisis to create further instability or attack American personnel, he said.
Blinken said:
As the president said yesterday, we will respond. That response could be multi-levelled, come in stages, and be sustained over time.