Washington: US forces may have mistaken an enemy drone allegedly launched by Iran-backed groups for an American one and let it pass unchallenged into a desert base in Jordan where it killed three soldiers and wounded more than 40 others, officials said on Monday based on the findings of a preliminary report. This comes as the US faces a steep task of conducting a retaliatory action without causing any further escalation of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The attack hit a US military desert outpost in the far reaches of northeastern Jordan known as Tower 22, located near the demilitarised zone on the border between Jordan and Syria. The base saw an increased US presence after American forces entered Syria in late 2015.

Citing the report, two US officials said as the enemy drone was flying in at a low altitude, a US drone was returning to Tower 22. As a result, there was no effort to shoot down the enemy drone that hit the outpost. One of the trailers where troops slept sustained the brunt of the strike, while surrounding trailers got limited damage from the blast and flying debris. 

The base did have counter-drone systems, but due to the misinterpretation, the drone strike caused three deaths and wounded more than 40 troops, most with cuts, bruises, brain injuries and similar wounds. Eight were medically evacuated, including three who were going to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The other five, who suffered “minor traumatic brain injuries,” were expected to return to duty.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the US Central Command was still assessing whether the failure to shoot down the enemy drone was a human error. The Defence Department has also released the names of the soldiers killed in the attack, allegedly by Iran-backed militias: Sgt William Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Specialist Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; Specialist Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia. They were assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, a US Army Reserve unit based out of Fort Moore, Georgia.

Pressure on Biden

Meanwhile, Biden met with national security advisers in the White House Situation Room to discuss the latest developments and potential retaliation. The brazen attack, which the Biden administration blames on Iranian-based proxies, marks a major escalation in the already precarious situation in the Middle East as the US desperately tries to keep the Israel-Hamas war from escalating into a wider conflict.

Biden promised on Sunday to “hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing” but said the US wasn’t seeking to get into another conflict in the Middle East. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby implied that American patience has worn thin after more than 160 attacks in over two months by Iranian proxies on US troops in Iraq, Syria and Jordan, along with US Navy and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

Republicans have laid blame on Biden for doing too little to deter Iranian militias, which have carried out at least 165 attacks on US troops in the region since the start of the war. Several Republicans declared that the militants were encouraged to attack because Biden’s previous responses were too modest, and some suggested that a strike with Iran itself was needed.  Former President Donald Trump, who hopes to face off against Biden in this year’s presidential election, portrayed the attack as a “consequence of Biden’s weakness and surrender.”

The White House also asserted that it is not looking for a war with Iran, while the Pentagon believed that Tehran is not looking for a war either. “We are not looking for war with Iran; we are not seeking a conflict with the regime in a military way. We’re not looking to escalate here. This attack over the weekend was escalatory; make no mistake about it — and it requires a response, make no mistake about that. I will not get ahead of the president’s decision-making,” said Kirby.

Deepening crisis in Middle East

Meanwhile, Iran on Monday denied involvement in the attack in northeastern Jordan near Syria’s border. Iranian foreign ministry claims the allegations “baseless” after President Biden vowed to take revenge amid mounting pressure from the Republican party. Additionally, Qatar said it hoped US retaliation would not damage regional security or undercut progress toward a new Gaza hostage-release deal.

The attack came as US officials were seeing signs of progress in negotiations to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas to release the more than 100 remaining hostages being held in Gaza in exchange for an extended pause in fighting. Qatar’s prime minister on Monday said senior US and Mideast mediators had achieved a framework proposal to present to Hamas for freeing hostages and pausing fighting in Gaza.

Iraq’s government condemned the drone strike. Spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said in a statement that Iraq was “monitoring with a great concern the alarming security developments in the region” and called for “an end to the cycle of violence.” The statement said that Iraq is ready to participate in diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.

(with inputs from AP)

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