Biden Administration 'Reserves the Right to Respond' to Iraq Rocket Attack

President Joe Biden’s administration is not ruling out retaliating for the rocket attack in Iraq that killed a civilian contractor and injured nine people, including an American service member, CNBC reports.

Late in the night on Monday, three rockets struck near the international airport in the city of Irbil in the Kurdistan region, which is near a base that houses U.S. troops.

“The president of the United States and the administration reserves the right to respond in a timely manner of our choosing,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday during a press briefing, before offering condolences to the victims of the attack.

“But we’ll wait for the attribution to be concluded first before we take any additional steps. I will convey to you that diplomacy is a priority with this administration,” she said.

Psaki noted that the attack is currently under investigation to determine who was behind it. A spokesperson for the State Department added on Tuesday that “Once we have identified a perpetrator, then it would be more appropriate to look into the motive.” 

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