The Pentagon is considering strikes on Iranian personnel in Syria or Iraq or on Iranian naval facilities in the Persian Gulf in response to the killing of three American soldiers in Jordan. This was reported by Politico, citing sources.

The strikes are likely to be carried out in waves. US President Joe Biden has not yet approved them.

Iran has made it clear that a strike on its territory would be a red line.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called for "hitting Iran now" and "hard."

"There is a sense that our deterrence measures have not been received by Tehran as we had hoped, so escalation is inevitable," said former CIA and Pentagon Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash.

Experts believe that Iran "cannot afford" a direct conflict with the United States, but it can fully set Hezbollah on Israel or American targets, "and it can go downhill."

US officials told CNN that Biden's response would be "powerful," but that Washington fears provoking a broader escalation with Iran.