The Pentagon has accused Iranian-backed militants of killing three U.S. soldiers and injuring 34 others in a drone strike at a base in Jordan near the Syrian and Iraq border. On Sunday, President Biden vowed the U.S. would respond “at a time and in a manner of our choosing.” The attack comes less than a month after a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad killed the head of an Iranian-backed militia. A group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed responsibility for attacking the U.S. forces in Jordan. Iran has denied any involvement.
In a statement, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said, “If the U.S. keeps supporting Israel, there will be escalations. All U.S. interests in the region are legitimate targets, and we don’t care about U.S. threats to respond.” The drone strike was the first fatal attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. Two U.S. Navy SEALs died on January 11 after going overboard while raiding a ship suspected of carrying Iranian arms off the coast of Somalia.