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Iranian officials have issued a warning to the United States, promising a “decisive” response to any threats in the wake of a drone attack in Jordan that resulted in the deaths of three U.S. soldiers.

Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, conveyed this message, saying, “The Islamic Republic would decisively respond to any attack on the county, its interests and nationals under any pretexts.” He added that the retaliation from Iran would be a “strong response.”

The drone attack, attributed to Iran-backed militia groups, targeted a US base in Jordan, killing three Army Reserve soldiers and injuring about 40 others. This incident, the first to result in US fatalities since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, has intensified pressure on President Joe Biden’s administration to respond to Tehran. American troops have faced over 160 attacks by Iranian-backed groups since the conflict’s onset, prompting calls from several Republican lawmakers for a forceful US response.

President Biden has pledged to retaliate for the attack at a time and manner of the US’s choosing, while officials stress that the US does not seek an escalated war with Iran or further conflict in the Middle East. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard chief Hossein Salami responded to American statements, saying, “We hear threatening words from American officials. You have tested us and we know each other, we will not leave any threat unanswered. We are not after war, but we have no fear of war.”

This comes as Iran has denied any direct involvement in the Jordan attack and maintains it does not control the actions of militia groups. At the same time, the US holds Iran responsible for the activities of its proxies.