When the administration denies Iran’s role, it varies the phrasing of the denial. On 60 Minutes, Joe Biden said “there is no clear evidence” that Iran had foreknowledge of the attack or helped plan it. However, in almost his next breath, Biden said there is “no evidence.”

Parsing the words of an 80-year-old who doesn’t seem to be all there may be a fool’s errand. Antony Blinken’s words may be more deserving of analysis.

He, too, has varied the wording of the denial. In an interview with NBC News, Blinken said “there is no direct evidence.” But he has also said the U.S. has “not yet seen evidence” that Iran “was behind the attack.”