Three United States military personnel were killed and at least 34 more injured by a drone strike in Jordan, a close Middle Eastern ally to the U.S., American officials said on Sunday.
President Joe Biden announced the attack against the U.S. troops stationed near the Syrian border in northeastern Jordan that occurred on Saturday night. He blamed Iran-backed militant groups for the strike.
"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," Biden said in a statement released by the White House. "Jill and I join the families and friends of our fallen—and Americans across the country—in grieving the loss of these warriors in this despicable and wholly unjust attack."
Biden added: "We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt - we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing."
While speaking at a Baptist church's banquet hall in South Carolina on Sunday, the president said that the U.S. "shall respond" to the attack.
The White House press office told reporters that the president was briefed on the attack by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer on Sunday morning.
When reached by Newsweek for comment on Sunday afternoon, the Department of Defense (DOD) confirmed the deaths and injuries and said via email, "As a matter of respect for the families and in accordance with DoD policy, the identities of the servicemembers will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified."
Newsweek also reached out to the State Department via online form and the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email for comment.
Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., an international security think tank, told Newsweek via telephone on Sunday, "Unfortunately the United States is going to feel obliged to retaliate in some way. And of course, that increases the chances that the escalation just gets worse and worse."
Conflict in the Middle East has escalated in the months following Hamas' surprise attack on Israel in early October.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza, home to more than 2 million Palestinians. Israeli officials have said that about 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 250 hostages were taken in Hamas' attack, according to the Associated Press. Meanwhile, more than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed, officials from the health ministry in Gaza said.
Biden has remained loyal to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, maintaining that Israel has a right to self-defense. The president has also reiterated his support for a two-state solution. In November during a press conference in San Francisco, Biden said that a "real" Palestinian state must exist alongside Israel.
However, Netanyahu has dismissed calls for a two-state solution, writing on X, formerly Twitter, last week, translated from Hebrew, "I will not compromise on full Israeli security control over all the territory west of Jordan - and this is contrary to a Palestinian state."
Meanwhile, Iran celebrated Hamas' surprise October attack, with Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani telling ISNA, a news agency run by Iranian university students, at the time, "What took place today is in line with the continuation of victories for the anti-Zionist resistance in different fields, including Syria, Lebanon and occupied lands."
More recently, Biden has ordered multiple airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen to stop the attacks on shipping vessels passing through the Red Sea. The Houthis are an Iran-backed Shia political and military organization who have declared their support for Hamas. The militant group carried out a series of strikes on shipping vessels in an effort to attack ships coming in and out of Israel.
Joel Rubin, former deputy assistant secretary of state for House Affairs during the Obama administration, told Newsweek via telephone on Sunday, "The spin-out of the war is a window of opportunity for Iran and Iran is taking it, rather than acting like a responsible nation...like Egypt or Qatar who are trying to reduce the conflict in the region."
Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, wrote on X on Sunday, "Hit Iran now. Hit them hard," while Senator Tim Scott, also a Republican from South Carolina, wrote in his own X post, "Enough is enough. The Biden administration's appeasement of Iran must end. It's time for clear and decisive action, and Iran must be held accountable for the malign activities of its proxies."
Update 1/28/24, 1:16 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 1/28/24, 2:15 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Slavin and Rubin, as well as additional information.
Update 1/28/24, 4:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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