The US could take preemptive military action if it gets sufficient warning that Iran or its proxy forces are planning further strikes on American interests in the Middle East, Sec. Esper says.
In a separate interview with NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell on Thursday, Esper said those forces had been sent as “a prudent, precautionary measure to ensure the safety and security of folks not just at the embassy in Baghdad, but in Iraq writ large and frankly the region.”
Describing the initial response to the protests by the Iraqi security forces as “slow”, he said they needed to remain there. He added that U.S. had a full range of capabilities to hit back at Iran, whether on the military side, further economic sanctions or diplomatic action.
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