The U.S. continues to carry out airstrikes against Iranian-backed Iraqi militias. Iran's foreign minister said the broader threat of conflict would continue if the United States continued to support Israel. Soon after, disaster struck the United States.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that Iranian-backed militants killed three U.S. servicemen and wounded several others in an unarmed drone strike in Jordan near the Syrian border.
Biden said the U.S. is "still gathering facts" around the "completely unjust attack" that took place on Saturday night. But the president praised the servicemen who were killed for their "unwavering bravery." Unswervingly fulfill their duties. They are unwavering in their commitment to our country.
Twenty-five soldiers were also injured in the one-way drone strike, according to the U.S. Central Command, which issued a brief statement on Sunday confirming the incident.
The attack marked the first time U.S. troops have died in the line of fire since the start of the Israeli-Hamas war triggered by the Hamas terrorist attacks in October.
The United States supports Israel against Hamas in Gaza, but tries to prevent the conflict from enveloping the Middle East. Because Iranian-backed militants staged a series of strikes in Iraq, Syria and Yemen against the Israeli election campaign.
Jordan is a kingdom bordering Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Syria, but they did not react immediately. There are usually about 3,000 U.S. troops stationed in Jordan.
Since Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, US military bases in Iraq and Syria have been attacked by drones and missiles. The attack on Jordan marked the first time that U.S. troops were targeted against Jordan during the war.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was briefed Sunday in Columbia, South Carolina, by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Chief Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Fiener.
Syria is still in the midst of a civil war and has long been a launching pad for Iranian-backed forces, including the Lebanese militia Allah. Iraq also has multiple Iranian-backed Shia militias operating there.