Three United States troops were targeted and killed by a drone attack carried out by Iran-backed militias near the Syrian border over the weekend. Dozens more were injured. It was the first direct attack against U.S. troops in the region following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in northern Israel and the ensuing conflict in Gaza. And now, the Biden administration, which has vowed to respond forcefully “at a time and place of our choosing,” must decide on a specific course of action in the highly volatile region.
To be certain, a strong military response against Iran and its proxies is warranted and even obligatory. This incident, not unlike the Russian invasion of Ukraine, China’s increasingly hostile stance in the Indo-Pacific, and indeed the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, are the direct result of America’s waning ability to deter her adversaries in the Biden era. A forceful response against this heinous attack on our military is not only morally justified but necessary if the U.S. is to reestablish the credibility of its military deterrence.
