National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked by “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream whether a strike inside Iran was on the table or off the table. “What we saw on Friday night was just the first wave. The administration will take additional response measures against the Revolutionary Guards and these groups that they support,” he said of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Mentioned.
“And when it comes to the attacks we’ve had in recent months; [Biden] The aggressiveness of our response has increased to pursue the IRGC more directly. And now you saw what happened Friday night, and I tell you, it doesn't end there. There will be more,” Kirby said.
Sullivan appeared on multiple talk shows Sunday morning to discuss the Biden administration's response.
Sullivan told NBC's “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker: “We will take additional attacks, take additional actions, and if our troops are attacked or people are killed, we will continue to do so. “We will continue to send a clear message that the United States will respond.”
President Joe Biden reacted for the first time to the Iranian-backed Houthis on January 11, infuriating some lawmakers who disagreed with his decision to take military action without seeking Congressional approval. launched retaliatory attacks on Yemen.
Kirby defended Biden's decision to bypass Congress.
“The President is acting in accordance with his Article II responsibilities as Commander in Chief. It's an act of self-defense,” Kirby said.
Sullivan said the airstrikes “we believe have had a positive effect in disabling and disabling the militias and the Houthis, and we will continue to take action as necessary.”
Sullivan told ABC's Stephanopoulos that Biden needs military commanders to “be prepared to respond to further attacks” and cannot rule out retaliation from the Houthis or militias in Iraq and Syria. He said he told him.
After Saturday's airstrike, the Iraqi government said 16 people were killed, including civilians. A government spokesperson said 25 people were injured in the attack.
When asked about reported civilian casualties by CBS' “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennen, Sullivan said, “We continue to assess combat damage.”
“We believe with confidence that the targets we attacked were legitimate military targets. They were ammunition depots, they were command and control centers,” Sullivan said.
