The United States gave its approval today, Thursday, February 1st, for plans to carry out a series of strikes over several days against Iranian targets, including personnel and facilities, inside Syria and Iraq, in response to drone attacks targeting US forces near the Syrian-Jordanian border.
American network CBC reported from unnamed US officials that weather conditions will be a major factor in the timing of the strikes, as the United States has the ability to carry out strikes in bad weather, but prefers clearer visibility of the selected targets to ensure civilians are not accidentally harmed.
According to US officials, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was shot down over the Gulf of Aden last night, and an explosive marine drone was destroyed in the Red Sea without any new attacks on US forces in the region since the Iraqi Hezbollah militia announced the suspension of its military operations against US forces, with no indicators that the announced suspension would delay the US military’s retaliatory strikes.
Reuters news agency also reported from US officials that the United States estimates Iran manufactured the drone that attacked the American base, killing three US soldiers and wounding at least 40 others.
The first attack to kill American soldiers in the Middle East since the escalation of Israeli tensions in Gaza on October 7, 2023, Washington held Iran-supported activists responsible, ultimately blaming Iran for backing these organizations.
What happened?
Last Tuesday, American news channel ABC News reported additional details about last Sunday’s attack from three US officials that resulted in the death of three American soldiers at a force stationed in Tower 22 near the al-Tanf base, northeast of Jordan, close to the Syrian border.
According to the officials, an offensive drone approached the base at the same time as an American reconnaissance UAV, causing confusion and preventing the United States from deploying aerial defenses.
On January 28, the US military announced the death of three soldiers and the wounding of others in a drone attack on a base in Jordan, while Amman denied that the targeted site was within its territory.
This past Sunday, Iran denied any connection to the attack, and a spokesman for the Iranian mission to the United Nations said that the conflict began earlier between the United States and “resistance” groups in Iraq and Syria.
On the same matter, last Tuesday, the Pentagon Press Secretary, Pat Ryder, commented on the Iraqi Hezbollah’s suspension of its attacks against US forces, stating that “actions speak louder than words.”
In the same context, Iran responded to American statements threatening retaliation for the death of three American soldiers, affirming that any attack on Iranian territory or its interests or nationals abroad would be met with a decisive and strong response.