According to two U.S. officials, the current theory is that the enemy drone was mistaken for an American drone returning from a surveillance mission by American personnel, resulting in the breach at a U.S. base in Jordan. The attack took place on Sunday when an enemy drone struck a housing area at the Tower 22, killing three American service members and injuring at least 34 others. President Joe Biden promised a retaliatory response, as Iran denied any involvement.
The deaths are likely to lead to increased U.S. involvement in the region, marking the first time American troops have been targeted since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October in response to a terror attack by Hamas. The U.S. has been supporting Israel against Hamas in Gaza while trying to prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the broader Middle East. At the same time, the U.S. has stated that Iran-backed militants have carried out a series of strikes in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen in opposition to Israel’s campaign. Pentagon officials have indicated that the deaths of American service members will warrant a strong response, potentially drawing the U.S. and other regional and international powers into a growing conflict.
President Biden stated, “We will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing,” emphasizing the intention to respond to the strike. The Iranian Mission for the U.N. denied any involvement in the attacks, attributing the conflict to the United States military and resistance groups in Iraq and Syria.
Following the attack, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asserted, “The president and I will not tolerate attacks on American forces, and we will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests.” The three slain service members have not been identified pending notification of their families, while the injured count has been updated to at least 34, with some evacuated for a higher level of care but in stable condition. Some of the injured service members sustained serious wounds from shrapnel and were being screened for traumatic brain injuries.
The strike occurred at the Tower 22 outpost, a small base in Jordan that supports operations at the U.S. base at al-Tanf in Syria and contributes to the Pentagon’s advise-and-assist mission for the Jordanian military.
Over recent months, Iran-backed militias have carried out over a hundred attacks in the region, targeting U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, as well as American ships and international commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The U.S. has responded with targeted, retaliatory strikes on fighters in the Middle East, aiming to degrade the militias’ capabilities and deter further escalation.
The ongoing conflict has prompted questions about the broader military strategy, with Gen. CQ Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, rejecting the idea of a broader conflict in the region. However, the attacks have raised concerns among lawmakers, with some criticizing the White House for not seeking authorization from Congress for the strikes in Yemen.
Following the confirmation of the Jordan strike, members of Congress have expressed condolences for the slain and wounded service members, with calls for a reset of Middle East policy to protect national security interests and restore deterrence. Before the Israel-Hamas war, there had been a period of relative calm for U.S. forces in the Middle East, with the last major attack resulting in multiple American service members killed in action taking place at the Kabul, Afghanistan airport in August 2021.
ABC News’ Will Gretsky, Mariam Khan, Meghan Mistry, Lauren Peller, Martha Raddatz, Luis Martinez, and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
