National Security Council spokesman says "ISIS-K does remain viable terrorist threat and obviously the region."
This comes after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings targeting a commemoration for an Iranian general slain in a 2020 U.S. drone strike.
This comes after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings targeting a commemoration for an Iranian general slain in a 2020 U.S. drone strike.
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00:00 We have seen the public credit now that ISIS-K has taken for the attack in Iran.
00:07 We're certainly in no position to doubt that claim by ISIS-K.
00:15 And I'm sorry, the second question was?
00:17 What your analysis is of Islamic State's strength, given the fact that they were able to carry out that attack?
00:24 Difficult to make a quantitative or qualitative assessment of their strength based on this event, this one event.
00:32 I would just say what we said before, which is ISIS-K does remain a viable terrorist threat.
00:38 Certainly they are largely based out of Afghanistan.
00:42 That's where they headquarter themselves.
00:45 And they continue to pose a viable terrorist threat to the people of Afghanistan and obviously to the region.
00:51 Again, I can't speak to the specifics of this particular strike.
00:56 I would just tell you that, first of all, we're grateful for the continued support that we get from the government of Iraq.
01:03 We are an advise and assist capacity only to help Iraqi security forces continue to go after a still viable ISIS threat in Iraq.
01:12 And that partnership continues.
01:16 And unlike Iran and the IRGC, we actually respect Iraqi sovereignty.
01:28 And we take that seriously.
01:30 You know what else we take seriously?
01:32 Defending the lives of our men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, at Iraq's invitation, to help them get better against this terrorist threat.
01:40 We take that seriously, too.
01:42 We have a right and a responsibility to make sure that they are well defended.
01:46 And as the President has said, we'll continue to do what we have to do to protect our people.