The attack on Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq is happening at a critical moment. The world is anticipating Iran's response to last week's deadly attack on the Hamas leader in Tehran, which Iran blames on Israel. The US is trying to persuade Iran to de-escalate to prevent a wider regional war, and in the event of an Iranian attack, the US has maintained its unconditional support for Israel. At the same time, the US cannot accept terrorist attacks on its troops and reserves the right to respond in a manner and place of its choosing.