‘Is it a red line?’ Sen. Graham presses W.H. on response if Iran-backed militias kill Americans

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Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday asked Biden administration officials whether the U.S. would strike Iran directly if an American service member stationed in the Middle East dies from attacks by Tehran-backed militias.

In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stopped short of vowing an American military response against Iran itself. In a tense back-and-forth with Mr. Graham, South Carolina Republican, the Pentagon chief said only that “Iran should be held accountable” for the actions of its proxy groups, which have attacked U.S. troops in the region on nearly two dozen occasions the past three weeks.

Those raids have resulted in injuries to U.S. soldiers. Mr. Graham suggested that if a service member dies during any such attack, the American response should escalate.

“Is it a red line for Iran to orchestrate an attack on our forces that kills an American?” the senator said.

“Can we say publicly to the families who have service members over in Iraq and Syria that we will hit Iran if they kill an American through their proxies? Can we say that?” Mr. Graham said.

“What we have said and will continue to say is that we’re going to continue to hold” Iran accountable, Mr. Austin said, before he was interrupted by the senator.

“I wish you would be more clear,” Mr. Graham said.

The U.S. last week conducted retaliatory airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria. The administration did not name the specific militias, but the Iran-backed groups Kata’ib Hezbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada over the past few years have been responsible for most attacks against American forces in the region.

Attacks on American troops have increased dramatically since Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists raided Israel. Iran is one of Hamas’ key financial backers, and Iranian leaders have publicly praised the assault on Israel.

The most recent attacks on U.S. troops saw 21 U.S. service members wounded and one American contractor die from a cardiac incident while sheltering in place. All of the wounded service members have since returned to duty.

While he did not explicitly say the U.S. would respond directly against Iran, Mr. Austin did make clear that the Pentagon is willing and able to ramp up its response if necessary.

“If this doesn’t stop, then we will respond,” the secretary said. “We maintain the right to respond. We have the capability to respond. And we will respond at a time and place of our choosing.”