On the evening of January 28, Iranian-backed Iraqi Islamic Resistance of Iraq claimed responsibility for a drone attack in Jordan. The attack killed three U.S. troops and wounded at least 34.
This is the first time that U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East have been attacked by enemy fire since October 7 last year, when the Palestinian rebel group Hamas attacked Israel.
Jordan** has issued a statement denying that the attack took place on Jordanian territory. And Iran has not responded to the attack.
Some members of the U.S. Congress reacted strongly and demanded that Biden take military action against Iran. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, issued a statement saying, "I call on Biden to strike at vital targets inside Iran, avenge our military's efforts, and prevent future violations." ”
"Iran's attacks on US forces will stop only if its infrastructure and personnel pay the price," he stressed. Strike at Iran now. Hit them hard. ”
Roger Wicker, a veteran Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee from Mississippi, said: "We must respond to repeated attacks by Iran and its ...... by directly hitting Iranian targets and their leadership."Biden's response so far has only provoked more attacks. “
Biden has already stated that he wants to retaliate. "We will hold all those responsible accountable at the right time and in the right way," he said in a statement. ”
This attack means that the regional war that Biden is trying to contain is escalating and intensifying.
At present, tensions in the Middle East region are rapidly worsening, and the conflict has spread to the Red Sea. Yemen's Houthi rebels have frequently attacked merchant ships and ** as a means of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. In response, U.S. and British ships repeatedly attacked the positions of the Yemeni Houthis.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Allah and Israel exchanged fire on the border, and Iran attacked targets in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan.
Despite Iran's attempts to control its leading groups in the Middle East, analysts warn that Iran does not have absolute control. Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy and Middle East and North Africa research, noted that Iraqi militias and the Houthis have shown greater tolerance for direct confrontation with the United States than they have responded to the war in Gaza.
On January 29, the spread of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the deep involvement of the United States led to a rise in the United States. Neither Washington nor Tehran wants a direct confrontation, because that could cause great damage.
Dominic Pratt, senior country analyst for the Middle East and Africa at the Economist Intelligence Unit, warned: "For the United States, a direct strike on Iran is costly and extremely risky. ”
In the past few months, Iranian-backed groups have launched at least 160 attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East. "As long as the war in Gaza continues, there are likely to be more attacks," Pratt said. ”