The Guardian view on escalation in the Middle East: the region is inching towards the abyss | Editorial

The deaths of three US soldiers in Jordan this weekend will prompt retaliation. But what then?

Earlier this month, Joe Biden was asked if the airstrikeson Yemen were working. Are they stoppingthe Houthis? No," replied the president. Arethey going to continue? Yes."

There is an obvious logic to the US approach. If it - and its allies - do not show the Houthis and their Iranian backers that there is a price for attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, then there is no reason for its adversaries to halt. That is even more clearly the case when it comes to the attack that killed three US soldiers and injured dozens more in Jordan on Sunday. It has been claimed by Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose coalition of Iranian-backed militias; though Tehran denied involvement, Mr Biden blamed Iran-backed" groups and vowed to respond.