The US has approved plans to carry out a series of strikes on Iranian targets in Iraq and Syria within days in response to a drone attack on an American base in Jordan.
This is reported by CBS News with reference to US officials.
When exactly they strike depends on the weather, it will be the main factor. The US believes that although they can strike in bad weather, it would be more appropriate to do so with better visibility of the selected targets. This will protect civilians who may find themselves in the affected area at the last moment.
On January 28, in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, three American servicemen were killed and more than 40 were injured in a drone attack. Since the beginning of the war between Hamas and Israel in October 2023, this is the first time that US service members have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East.
The USA stated that Iran was behind the attack on the base. Preliminary, responsibility for the attack was placed on the Kataib Hezbollah group, which is one of the main allies of the Iranian militia and is based in Iraq with forces in Syria. This information is still being studied. Iran, for its part, denies any connection with the drone strike.
- Previously, high-ranking American officials told The Wall Street Journal on condition of anonymity that the United States did not repel a drone attack on its base in Jordan because it confused an enemy drone with its own, which at the same time was returning to the base. The Pentagon says that the US Central Command is studying this information.