In a recent address at the White House, President Joe Biden stated that he has determined how the United States will respond to a drone strike that claimed the lives of three American troops in Jordan over the weekend. While the President did not provide specific details, he emphasized the goal of avoiding a broader conflict in the Middle East.
The attack, claimed by an Iran-backed militia group, occurred at a US military base near the Syrian border, resulting in the deaths of three soldiers and injuring dozens more. This marks the first instance of US soldiers being killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the onset of the Israel-Gaza war in early October.
When questioned by reporters, President Biden held Iran responsible, stating that they supplied weapons to the group behind the attack. However, Iran has denied any involvement. The White House National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, indicated that the US might adopt a “tiered approach” in its response, involving multiple actions over time to degrade the capabilities of such groups.
Possible options for the US response include retaliatory strikes on Iran-allied bases and commanders, as well as targeting senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps in Iraq or Syria. In recent months, several US bases in the Middle East have faced attacks by militias affiliated with Iran.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, comprising various Iran-affiliated militias, claimed responsibility for the drone strike. They have also asserted involvement in other recent attacks against US forces. Kataib Hezbollah, a faction of the Islamic Resistance, declared a suspension of all military operations against US troops in the region to avoid causing embarrassment to the Iraqi government.
The deadly strike occurred at an American military base known as Tower 22 in northeastern Jordan, where approximately 350 US forces are stationed. The base focuses on combating the Islamic State group. The attack took place as an enemy drone struck while a US drone was returning to the base from a mission. The base’s air defense auto-response features were reportedly turned off to prevent the shooting down of the US drone, resulting in no warning for troops who were reportedly in their sleeping quarters.
Sgt William Jerome Rivers, 46, Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, and Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, lost their lives in the attack. President Biden has spoken with their families and will attend the “dignified transfer” of their bodies at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Friday. The President expressed pride in the troops’ service and conveyed sorrow over their loss to the grieving families. In response to the incident, a supplementary air defense system, the Coyote, is being deployed to Tower 22 to enhance drone interception capabilities, according to reports.
Comments