As Biden vows retaliation after drone strike kills US troops, Republicans push for bigger response

Congressional leaders on Sunday mourned three American service members killed in a drone strike in Jordan and called for retaliation against the Iran-backed militants whom the U.S. says is responsible.

The deadly drone strike marks the first deaths of U.S. troops in the line of fire since the Israel-Hamas war broke out after Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack.

The White House is supporting Israel against Hamas but has tried to contain the conflict out of concern for sparking a broader war in the Middle East, even as various fighters, aided by Iran, have carried out attacks on U.S. forces and others in opposition to Israel.

Until Sunday's strike, the U.S. had undertaken a series of retaliatory operations on the Iranian proxies.

Gen. CQ Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently told ABC News' Martha Raddatz in an interview that he believes Iran, a regional power with major rivalries in the Middle East, does not want a war with the U.S.

But Republican lawmakers on Sunday spoke out to criticize President Joe Biden's approach to Iran and some called for direct action against the country.

«We are saddened by the loss of three American heroes in Jordan last night, and we are praying for their families and for the… other service members who have been injured. America must send a crystal clear message across the globe that attacks on our troops will not be tolerated,» House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

«Heartbroken and outraged by the death of three U.S. service members and the wounding of many others during the horrific terrorist attack in the Middle East. Praying hard for all affected,» House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., also wrote on the platform. «Every single malignant actor