U.S. Troops Killed in Drone Attack in Jordan

Three U.S. servicemen were killed in a drone attack in Jordan, with 34 wounded, Reuters has reported citing U.S. officials that attributed the attack to “Iran-backed militant groups”.

"While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq," President Biden said on Sunday.

"Have no doubt - we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing," Biden also said.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations denied the accusations, saying in a statement that "Iran had no connection and had nothing to do with the attack on the U.S. base," and added that "There is a conflict between U.S. forces and resistance groups in the region, which reciprocate retaliatory attacks."

A senior official from Hamas also commented on the attack, saying "The killing of three American soldiers is a message to the U.S. administration that unless the killing of innocents in Gaza stops, it must confront the entire nation."

Reuters notes that this is the first deadly attack on U.S. forces since the war between Israel and the Palestinians started in October, which makes it a significant escalation of the broadening conflict in the Middle East.

The report also noted that an organization called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had claimed responsibility for three attacks on U.S. military bases including one near the Jordan-Syria border, where the drone attack was reported. The organization, says Reuters, is a group of militant entities backed by Iran.

Since October 2023, U.S. forces in the Middle East have been the target of more than 150 attacks, Reuters reports, coming from Iran-backed groups in the region.

At the same time, the standoff with Yemen’s Houthis continues even though the U.S. maintains that it is not at war in the Middle East.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

• Are Oil Markets Underpricing Geopolitical Risks?
• Red Sea Disruptions Force Saudi Aramco to Slash Prices
• Cold Weather Has Increased Range Anxiety For EV Drivers