Joe Biden said the United States will “respond” after three American soldiers were killed and dozens wounded in a drone strike on Saturday evening in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border.
The president blamed Iranian-backed militias The first American killed after months of strikes by these groups against US forces throughout the Middle East.
Mr. BidenShe, who was traveling to South Carolina on Sunday, asked for a moment of silence during her appearance in the Baptist Church's auditorium.
“We had a difficult day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave lives in an attack on one of our bases,” he said. After a moment of silence, Biden added: “And we will respond.”
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As the risk of escalation in the region continues, US officials are working to conclusively identify the group responsible for the attack, but have confirmed that one of several Iranian-backed groups was behind it.
So far, only one group, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iranian-backed militia operating in Iraq and Syria, has claimed responsibility for the “suicide” drone attack.
The group claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks on bases housing American forces in Iraq and Syria since the war Israel-Hamas war seem.
American helicopters in Jordan during previous exercises at a military base. Photo: AP
Biden said in a written statement that the United States “will hold all officials accountable at a time and manner of our choosing.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: “We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our forces, and our interests.”
Biden's rival for the White House this year, Donald Trump, said: “This brazen attack on the United States is another horrific and tragic consequence of Joe Biden's weakness and surrender.”
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “We strongly condemn the attacks launched by militias allied with Iran against American forces. We continue to urge Iran to stop the escalation in the region.”
“Our thoughts are with those American individuals who lost their lives and all who were injured, as well as their families.”
Iranian-backed fighters in eastern Syria have begun evacuating their positions, fearing US airstrikes, according to Omar Abu Laila, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir ez-Zor 24 media outlet.
According to a US official, the number of soldiers injured in the attack with a one-way attack drone may rise.
The official said a large drone struck the base, which was identified as a facility known as Tower 22.
It is along the Syrian border with Jordan They are largely used by forces involved in the mission of providing advice and assistance to Jordanian forces.
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The small facility, which Jordan has not publicly disclosed, houses US engineering, aviation, logistics and security forces.
The US military base at Al-Tanf in Syria is located just 12 miles north of Tower 22.
The Jordanian facility provides an important logistics hub for US forces in Syria, including those in Al-Tanf, close to the intersection of the borders with Iraq, Syria and Jordan.
Map of Jordan
Jordanian official television quoted Muhannad Al-Mubaideen, a government spokesman, as saying that the attack occurred across the border in Syria.
US forces have long used Jordan, a kingdom bordering Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Syria, as a launching point.
The US Central Command estimated the total number of casualties at three dead and 34 wounded.
The dead were sleeping in a tent, and some of the injured were evacuated from the country.
About 3,000 American soldiers are usually stationed in Jordan.
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Since the war in Gaza began on October 7, Iranian-backed militias have struck US military facilities in Iraq more than 60 times and in Syria more than 90 times, with a combination of drones, missiles, mortars and ballistic missiles.
The attack that occurred on Sunday was the first to target American forces in Jordan during the war between Israel and Hamas and the first to kill Americans.
Dozens of American personnel were injured, including some with traumatic brain injuries, during the attacks.
The militias said that their strikes came in response to Washington's support for Israel and that they aimed to expel American forces from the region.
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In recent months, the United States has struck targets in Iraq, Syria and Yemen to respond to attacks on US forces in the region and to deter Iran-backed Houthi rebels from continuing to threaten commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Syria is still in the midst of a civil war, and has long been a staging ground for Iranian-backed forces there, including the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. In Iraq, there are several Iranian-backed Shiite militias operating there as well.
Jordan, a powerful Western ally and crucial power in Jerusalem for its oversight of holy sites there, is suspected of launching air strikes in Syria to disrupt drug traffickers, including one that killed nine people earlier this month.
