US believes base was hit by Iranian-made drone – Reuters — RT World News
US forces are already preparing to respond to the attack, according to multiple media reports
Washington believes Iran manufactured the drone used to kill three American soldiers in Jordan over the weekend, US officials told Reuters on Thursday. The United States is reportedly planning a long bombing campaign against Iranian-allied militias in Iraq and Syria in response.
An explosives-laden drone struck a remote American outpost in Jordan on Sunday, killing three American soldiers and wounding dozens. This strike was the first time that American lives were lost after months of attacks on American bases in the region by various armed groups working in solidarity with Hamas.
The officials told Reuters that US analysts concluded that the drone was Iranian in origin after analyzing fragments from the explosion site, without providing any additional information about the exact model of the drone they suspect was used.
The White House has already blamed the attack on members of the “Islamic Resistance,” an umbrella group of Iranian armed militias operating across Iraq and Syria. However, no senior US officials have publicly stated that Iran made the weapon that was responsible for the deaths of the soldiers. But US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he holds Tehran responsible, “Meaning they are supplying weapons to the people who did this.”
Asked about the Reuters report later on Thursday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Pentagon was “He's still doing forensics.” On the drone, adding that “Most of the drones in the region are linked to Iran.”
Iran denies organizing the attack. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran stated on Monday that the militias “Do not receive orders from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“How much Iran knew or did not know, we do not know.” Austin told reporters. “But that doesn’t really matter because Iran sponsors, funds, and in some cases, trains these groups in advanced conventional weapons.”
The United States will carry out a series of strikes on “Iranian individuals and facilities” The United States launched drone attacks in Iraq and Syria in response to the drone attack, CBS News reported Thursday, citing unidentified US officials. Sources told CBS that the strikes would take place over several days, while NBC News quoted the same officials as saying the campaign could last for weeks.
Iran will “Respond firmly” For any attacks on “The nation, its interests, and its citizens under any pretext.” Tehran's envoy to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Irani, warned on Tuesday.
You can share this story on social media:
Source link
