SINKING DEEPER INTO WIDER WAR: President Joe Biden was briefed on a range of response options by his national security team yesterday as he weighs what level of military force will send a strong message to Iran and its proxies without sliding into the dreaded “wider war” in the Middle East. “We’ll hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing,” Biden posted on his @POTUS social media account.

Biden is expected to approve a robust package of strikes over several days against targets in Syria and Iraq that will aim to degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, as well as hit bases and logistics hubs linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.