- Drone attack kills U.S. troops
- Iran-backed groups claim responsibility
- Escalating regional tensions, potential conflict
At least 34 were injured, and three American service members were killed in a drone attack in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border, according to the United States military.
President Joe Biden stated on Sunday that the attack was carried out by radical Iranian-backed militant organisations operating in Syria and Iraq. However, exact details of the attack are still being gathered.
He stated that the United States “will hold accountable all responsible parties at a time and in a manner of our choosing.”
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organisation of armed groups sponsored by Iran, claimed responsibility for attacks on three bases, one of which was located on the Jordan-Syria border.
Jordan condemned the “terrorist attack” on a military advance post just inside Jordan’s border with Syria on Sunday, stating it was collaborating with the United States to secure its border.
Jordan, a U.S. ally, issued the initial statement regarding the incident, stating it was “fighting terrorism” alongside the United States. Earlier, Jordanian government spokesperson Muhannad Mubaidin was quoted by Jordanian state television. He stated that the attack occurred across the Syrian border, outside the kingdom.
US Marines have suffered their first Middle East casualties since Israel invaded Gaza on October 7.
The assault occurs amid escalating tensions in the region, where Israel continues its war on Gaza in response to an attack in southern Israel by the Palestinian organisation Hamas, which Israeli authorities claim killed at least 1,139 people.
Palestinian sources in Gaza said the Israeli assault on Gaza killed around 26,400 Palestinians.
‘Regional war’
Anxieties have risen about the potential for a regional conflagration, with Red Sea shipping being targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah engaging in cross-border gunfire almost daily.
Tehran-backed militias have intensified strikes on US military positions in Iraq and Syria in recent weeks. This increase in attacks is in retaliation for the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Iran-backed groups say their bombings are retaliation for US aid to Israel’s Gaza offensive and want to deport Americans.
In response to attacks on American forces, the United States has struck targets in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen in recent months to deter the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from continuing to threaten commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Since Israel assaulted Gaza, more than one hundred attacks have been launched against U.S. military installations in the Middle East. This information comes from Resul Serdar, reporting from Tehran.
“Iran’s stance thus far has been unambiguous. They assert that Iran does not conduct or plot these attacks. They assert that Iran maintains regional allies, but these allies make their own decisions,” he continued.
“Beijians are opposed to regional escalation. Iranian officials know a direct military conflict with Israel may lead to a disastrous battle with the US.”
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Also a senior research fellow at the Soufan Group Colin Clarke stated that these attacks indicate a “regional war.”
“It is indisputable. American forces have been killed, and the United States will retaliate with force. Whether against Iranian proxies in the various countries where it operates or against Iran itself,” he said.
“Iran may maintain whatever distance it desires from these organisations, but it finances, trains, and equips them. The Biden administration will also be under pressure to show that the US will not allow Iranian-backed militias killing US personnel.
Clarke stated, “The question now is what form this response will take.”
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