“They're 164th time lucky”: US forces shoot down Iranian drone
After the attack on the US base, Republicans urge Joe Biden to attack Iran. Is it realistic? What do we know about drone strikes? Most important answers.
A US outpost near the Syrian border. Tower 22 military base in Jordan was attacked.
Photo: A.P
US soldiers have been killed in the Middle East for the first time since the Gaza war began. Three US soldiers were killed in a drone strike in Jordan near the Syrian border on Sunday. More than 40 people were injured. Militants loyal to Iran under the banner of “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” claimed responsibility for the attack. Is this an attack that will drag the US into a Middle East war? As Washington struggles to find the right answer, new details about the attack emerge.
What causes drone strikes?
The enemy drone that killed three American soldiers and injured dozens more in Jordan may have been mistaken for an American drone. This was announced by two US representatives citing the preliminary investigation report. Accordingly, the enemy drone flew at low altitude towards Tower 22, known as Tower 22 in Jordan, on the Syrian border, while an American drone was on its way back to the small military facility. No attempt was made to intercept the enemy drone.
A trailer where the troops were sleeping took the brunt of the attack. Surrounding trailers were damaged by the blast and flying debris. Tower 22 does not have major air defense systems, but the facility does have drone defense technology such as Coyote Interceptor drones. In addition to the three troops killed in Sunday's attack, more than 40 soldiers were wounded, the Pentagon said. Most suffered cuts, bruises, bruises and brain injuries. 8 of them were airlifted for medical treatment.
Asked whether the failure to shoot down the enemy drone was “human error,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh simply replied that the matter was being investigated.
Did Iran Order the Attack?
The US accuses Iran of providing financial and military support to Iraqi militants. There is no evidence yet that Iran apparently ordered and controlled Sunday's terror attack. “I don't think it's an escalation,” a US official told CNN. “This is the same type of attack they have carried out 163 times. They were 164 times lucky. The leadership in Tehran quickly and relatively decisively denied that it was behind the drone strike. US President Joe Biden now knows he needs to show resolve.
How is America doing now?
What would be the correct answer? US President Joe Biden was briefed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his staff at the White House.
Photo: A.P
Joe Biden is under pressure. He must respond in a way that deters Iran and its allies and does not appear weak domestically. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused the Biden administration of “failing to deter America's adversaries.” Many Republicans have already called for the US to retaliate against Iran. Such a thing would be unprecedented. Although the Americans attacked Iranian ships and offshore oil platforms under President Ronald Reagan, the US military never struck targets on Iranian soil. Even Donald Trump avoided taking such action after Iran shot down a surveillance drone in 2019. Gabriel Noronha, the Trump administration's Iran adviser, sees now as the time for a tough retaliatory strike. He told the Wall Street Journal. “A strike on Iran would create a sense of vulnerability that its regime wants to avoid.”
But US officials didn't expect it to turn out that way. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby once again made it clear that the United States does not want war with Iran. A senior ex-military officer, who wished to remain anonymous, indirectly commented to CNN: “Every news story talks about the fear of escalation of government. We were able to hold our own here.” The “Wall Street Journal” also sees the initial situation in a similar way: “The paradox of Biden's strategy – especially to avoid escalation with Iran – is that he must now attack American forces harder than he did in the first attack. would have acted with destructive force.”
However, the US is likely to focus its retaliatory strikes on pro-Iranian militias in Iraq or Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Syria. The United States is likely to take a further step to strengthen sanctions against the mullahs' regime, particularly in China targeting companies and banks that support Iran. But it won't be easy.
nlu/DPA
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