The White House and military officials confirmed Sunday that the first U.S. troops were killed in the Middle East since the start of the Israel–Hamas conflict, with the president vowing to hold those responsible for their deaths responsible. A statement provided by U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said that three U.S. service members were killed in a drone attack overnight on a small U.S. base in Jordan, the Biden administration said in a statement, blaming Iran-backed groups for their deaths. At least two dozen other troops were injured in the incident, it said. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, said his administration will take action against those responsible. So far, no organization or government has claimed responsibility.
“As a matter of respect for the families and in accordance with [Department of Defense] policy, the identities of the servicemembers will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified,” the statement said. They were the first U.S. fatalities in months of strikes against American forces across the Middle East by Iranian-backed militias amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, increasing the risk of escalation. U.S. officials were still working to conclusively identify the precise group responsible for the attack but have assessed that one of several Iranian-backed groups is responsible.
The president’s statement then accused “radical” groups backed by Iran operating in Iraq and Syria for the attacks, adding that the United States “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing,” without providing more details. The conflicting information could not be immediately verified by The Epoch Times.
Other Updates: In January, two Navy SEALS were presumed to have died by the U.S. military after going missing during an operation near the coast of Somalia, although few details were provided. Officials said they were attempting to seize Iranian-made weapons that were sent to the Houthi terrorist group based in Yemen, which has carried out a number of attacks on U.S. military ships and commercial vehicles since the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict.