The recent attack near the Jordan-Syria border that claimed the lives of three US personnel and injured several others has sparked heightened tensions in the region.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, January 28, 2024, has been attributed to “radical Iranian-backed militant groups” by the US authorities. The attack has led to a vow of revenge from President Joe Biden, who stated, “We shall respond.”
Recently, in the aftermath of the attack, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a phone conversation with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi on Tuesday. During the call, Hussein expressed Iraq’s denunciation of the strike and emphasized the importance of keeping both Iraq and Jordan, as well as the wider region, away from military threats.
It is pertinent to note that the recent aerial system attack at a military base against US personnel has increased the tension, while throwing the region on the tenterhooks of instability and the growing military escalations.
The attack near the Jordan-Syria border is the first time that US troops have been killed in the region since the start of the war in Gaza triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel.
Moreover, the incident has raised concerns about the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran and the potential for further escalation in the region. The US authorities have accused Iran of being behind the attack, with Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stating that, “In terms of attribution for the attack, we know this is an [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ]-backed militia,” she said. “It has the footprints of Kataib Hezbollah. But not making a final assessment on that, our teams here are continuing to do the analysis. We know that Iran is behind it. And certainly as we’ve said before … Iran continues to arm and equip these groups to launch these attacks, and we will certainly hold them responsible,” she added.
Amid the growing accusations, however, Iran has denied any involvement in the attack and has called for an investigation into the incident to determine the true culprits.
