US says does not want war with Iran after 3 soldiers killed in Jordan
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The United States claims it does not want a war with Iran as it pledges to respond to the operation that left 43 US soldiers as casualties.
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Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, United States, August 8, 2023 (AP)
The Pentagon on Monday said it does not believe Iran is seeking a war with the United States, adding that the US is not after a war either just one day after a Resistance operation killed three US soldiers and wounded dozens more in the Jordanian-Syrian border area.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh blamed Iran for enabling groups attacking the United States in the Middle East, claiming that the latest attack carried the "footprints" of the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades).
"We don't seek war, but we will take action, and respond to attacks on our forces," Singh said.
The Pentagon added that while it would not disclose the nature of the response to the operation that targeted the US forces, "We consider Iran responsible for them."
Nothing further was disclosed about the US attack, with Washington saying it would "respond at a time and place that suits us."
The operation has thus far killed three US soldiers and wounded 40 others, with the Pentagon updating the tally that was sitting at 34, eight of whom are in a critical situation.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday evening that three US soldiers had been killed, while at least 25 have been injured in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border.
"On Jan. 28, three US service members were killed and 25 injured from a one-way attack UAS that impacted at a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border," CENTCOM said before adding that the identity of those killed while deployed will not be revealed for 24 hours.
Later, citing a US official, Reuters reported that the number of US soldiers injured in the drone attack in north East Jordan rose to 34.
US President Joe Biden has blamed "radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq," likely referring to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which announced earlier this month that they would escalate their attacks after the US conducted several raids in Iraq and assassinated a military official in central Baghdad.
Biden also reaffirmed that the US forces are now "still gathering the facts of this attack," stressing, "We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt -- we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing."
The Wall Street Journal, citing a US official, reported that The attack targeted a small military outpost in Jordan, which is Tower 22 near the Syrian border.
On the other hand, CNN described the operation as "a major escalation," noting that it is not clear why the air defenses failed to intercept the drone, noting that as of Friday, there had been more than 158 attacks on US and US-led coalition forces in Iraq and Syria.
The slew of condemnations was joined by Jordan, which issued a statement on Sunday calling the Resistance operation a "terrorist attack" on a military advance post.
This marks the first official statement from Jordan regarding the incident and highlights the country's dedication to cooperating with the United States.
