Three US troops were killed and 25 others were injured in a drone attack on a US base in Jordan on Sunday, the US military said. The attack, which was carried out by “radical Iran-backed militant groups,” marks the first time US soldiers have been killed in the region since October.
President Biden Vows to Hold Those Responsible Accountable
President Joe Biden condemned the attack in a statement, calling it “despicable and wholly unjust.” He vowed to “hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.”
“Jill and I join the families and friends of our fallen – and Americans across the country – in grieving the loss of these warriors in this despicable and wholly unjust attack,” Mr. Biden said in the statement.
The names of the servicemen killed and injured have not yet been released as officials work to notify their families.
Attack Comes Amid Rising Tensions in the Region
The attack comes amid rising tensions in the region, with Iran-backed groups launching a series of attacks on US targets in Iraq and Syria in recent months. Last month, the US carried out airstrikes against Iran-affiliated groups after three US servicemembers were injured in a drone attack on a base in northern Iraq.
Earlier in January, one retaliatory US strike in Baghdad killed a militia leader accused of being behind attacks on US personnel.
US Aims to Deter Further Escalation
In a pre-recorded interview with ABC News that aired on Sunday morning, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen CQ Brown said that America’s aim in the region is to “not have the conflict broaden.”
“The goal is to deter them and we don’t want to go down a path of greater escalation that drives to a much broader conflict within the region.”
US and coalition troops are also stationed in the Red Sea after the Iran-backed Houthis began attacking commercial ships in the region. The Yemen-based group says it is targeting vessels in the region in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting Hamas.
The US Central Command (Centcom) has previously said “these unlawful actions have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza”.
“The Houthis have fired indiscriminately into the Red Sea, targeting vessels impacting over 40 countries around the world,” Centcom has said.
Two Navy Seals Missing After Operation in Somalia
Two Navy Seals are presumed dead by the US Army after they went missing in January during an operation off the coast of Somalia a to seize Iranian-made weapons bound for Houthis in Yemen.
The attack on the US base in Jordan is a significant development in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. It is unclear what the long-term implications of the attack will be, but it is likely to further escalate tensions between the US and Iran.