By Patrick Wintour 

LONDON – The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards has said the country is not afraid of war with the US, as the Pentagon weighs how directly to respond to the killing of three US military personnel in a drone attack in Jordan.

The IRGC commander-in-chief, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, said: “We hear some threats from American officials about targeting Iran. We tell them that you tested us and we know each other. We do not leave any threat unanswered, and we do not look for war, but we are not afraid of it. This is the well-known truth.”

It is expected that more Iran-backed militia in Iraq are preparing to follow the example of Kataib Hezbollah, the group blamed for the fatal drone attack on the US service base on Sunday (28), and suspend operations against US bases as they attempt to stave off an imminent American attack. Kataib Hezbollah, the most powerful member of the Islamic Resistance group in Iraq, announced the decision on Tuesday (30). It appears to have taken its decision following pressure from Iran to de-escalate.

The UK defence secretary, Grant Shapps, has flown to Washington for talks about the crisis, including the possible deployment of a British aircraft carrier to the Red Sea to act as a substitute for the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, which is due to end its tour of duty at an as yet unspecified point.

Houthi forces continued to fire missiles at US naval ships in the Red Sea, but no damage was caused.

On Tuesday, Kataib Hezbollah said it would halt its attacks on American forces in the Middle East.

“We’re announcing the suspension of our military and security operations against the occupying forces to avoid any embarrassment for the Iraqi government,” it wrote on its website.

It insisted that it took its actions independent of Iran, but it now looks likely that other Iran-backed militia in Iraq will also suspend operations, a move that is likely to be coordinated with Tehran.

Kataib Hezbollah absolved Iran of all responsibility for the drone strike. Its statement said: “Our brothers in the resistance, especially in the Islamic Republic, do not even know the nature of our jihad/military operations. Many times they even objected to pressure and escalation against the Americans in Iraq and Syria. Militia are ordered to temporarily defend passively if any hostile American action occurs towards them.”

The statement may be designed as a piece of information warfare intended to make the US look like the side guilty of escalating matters if a revenge attack goes ahead. But there has also been intense political pressure from Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, urging the militia to close down the front against the US. A cessation of attacks on US bases may reduce the huge pressure from the Republican Party on President Joe Biden to attack Iran directly.

The director of the CIA, William Burns, made no attempt to disguise his assessment that Iran is at the root of the conflict. Writing in Foreign Affairs magazine he said: “Key to Israel’s – and the region’s – security is dealing with Iran. The Iranian regime has been emboldened by the crisis and seems ready to fight to its last regional proxy, all while expanding its nuclear programme and enabling Russian aggression.”

Washington has promised a “very consequential” response to the attacks. John Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesperson, said the US had still not identified the specific group that attacked the US base but believed the militants had Iranian backing.

“We’re still working through the analysis, but clearly the work has all the hallmarks of groups that are backed by the IRGC and in fact by Hezbollah as well,” he said.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group said on Wednesday it would keep up attacks on US and British warships in the Red Sea in what it called acts of self-defence, stoking fears of long-term disruptions to world trade.

Ameen Hayyan, the group’s military spokesperson, said Houthi forces had fired at USS Gravely late on Tuesday, adding: “All American and British warships in the Red [Sea] … will be targeted within the legitimate defence of our country.”

James Heappey, the UK armed forces minister, said on Tuesday that the UK could “cooperate with the Americans” and step in to “plug a gap” in the Red Sea.

The UK has two aircraft carriers designed to carry F-35 fighter jets. One is HMS Prince of Wales, which would face its first combat operation if it were deployed. The other is HMS Queen Elizabeth, which has been sent into combat once before.

American F-35B jets have taken off from the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth during Operation Shader against Islamic State.

A separate EU naval mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea will move a step closer when EU defence ministers decide which country should take command.

The UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, was in Saudi Arabia for further talks on how to secure a lengthy humanitarian pause in Gaza and a mass release of hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. He also met with leaders of the UN-recognised government in Yemen to discuss Houthi attacks on shipping

Cameron’s talks focus on the work Arab officials have been doing with the Palestinian Authority on how it can be revitalised after the war and take administrative charge of Gaza and the West Bank. The UK wants to see the current president, Mahmoud Abbas, either stand down or cede some power to his prime minister. Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, is also due to travel to the region next week.

Saudi Arabia has said it is not interested in helping with the reconstruction of Gaza unless there is a clear pathway to a two-state solution supported by Israel.

Cameron has caused a stir by holding out the hope of recognising Palestine before the end of the peace talks.

-theguardian.com