https://news.antiwar.com/2024/01/28/three-american-troops-killed-in-drone-attack-in-jordan/
Three American Troops Killed in Drone Attack in Jordan
Biden is blaming 'Iran-backed militants,' referring to Iraqi Shia militias, and might directly attack Iran in response
by Dave DeCamp
Three US troops were killed by an overnight drone attack in northern Jordan, the first Americans to die by enemy fire in the region since President Biden threw the US’s weight behind the Israeli onslaught in Gaza.
According to CNN, one-way attack drones hit Tower 22, a small US outpost in Jordan near the Syrian border. Twenty-five troops were also wounded in the attack.
Since mid-October, US bases in Iraq and Syria have come under attack over 150 times in response to US support for the Israeli slaughter in Gaza. The overnight drone attack in Jordan appears to be the first time Tower 22 was targeted.
President Biden released a statement blaming the attack on “Iran-backed militant groups,” referring to Shia militias that operate in Iraq and Syria.
The New York Times reported last week that President Biden and his top aides thought it was just a matter of time before an American soldier was killed in one of the attacks on US bases. The report said that if an American were killed, the US would likely attack Iran directly, which could escalate the situation into a major war.
The Pentagon has previously said it has no evidence that Iran has been directing attacks on US forces in the region, and Tehran has repeatedly denied that it’s been involved in the operations.
A US official told CNN back in October that how willing the Shia militias were to act independently was always a “persistent intelligence gap,” meaning the US doesn’t know if Iran is directing their actions. Regardless, US officials have continued to blame Iran for the attacks in Iraq and Syria as well as for Houthi operations in the Red Sea.