Biden Called Iranian Bombing ‘Act of War,’ Called for Tough Response (1996)

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As a U.S. senator in 1996, Joe Biden characterized a deadly bombing orchestrated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as an "act of war" that gave the United States latitude to respond with any level of force it deemed necessary, a far cry from his current calls for President Donald Trump to explain his decision to kill Qassem Soleimani.

Biden's view, expressed during an Aug. 4, 1996, interview with ABC News's Sam Donaldson—before the United States determined that the IRGC was responsible for the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia—was that, were Iran involved in the attack, it would yield its sovereignty. The attack on the U.S. Marine barracks left 19 dead and hundreds wounded.

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"[The United States] could take whatever action it deems appropriate," Biden said at the time. "They yield their sovereignty if they are [behind the attack] … it's an act of war."

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