Joe Biden vows response after drone attack kills 3 US troops in Jordan, blames Iran-backed militants
- Iran distances itself from deadly drone attack on US base in Jordan that also injured dozens
- They are the first US fatalities in the Middle East since the Israel-Gaza war erupted in October
Three US service members were killed and at least 34 wounded in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants on US troops in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, US President Joe Biden and US officials said.
It is the first deadly strike against US forces since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted in October, and marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East.
“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 on Sunday.
“Have no doubt – we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing,” he said.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Monday that Tehran was not involved in the attack.
“Iran had no connection and had nothing to do with the attack on the US base,” the mission said in a statement published by the state news agency IRNA.