Lebanon Iran, Iraq and Syria Yemen and the Red Sea Deaths Related topics On 28 January 2024, an attack drone, launched by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq—an Iranian-backed Shia militia group—struck Tower 22, a U.S. military outpost in Rukban, northeast Jordan.

[7] Between the 7 October attacks by Hamas in southern Israel and 27 January 2024, Iran-backed groups launched missiles and rockets at US and coalition forces in the Middle East on 160 occasions.

[12][8] Tower 22, which hosts American engineering, aviation, logistics and security personnel, lies 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Al-Tanf garrison in Syria,[13] where US and local forces collaborate in combating the Islamic State.

[2] An Analog Devices employee was arrested in December 2024, and later charged with evading U.S. export controls and facilitating indirect sales of some of the technology used in the drone, via the Iranian military.

[26][27] According to Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist and the head of the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, Iran-backed fighters in eastern Syria began evacuating their posts in fear of retaliatory US strikes shortly after the attack took place.

[13] On 1 February, CBS reported that the White House had approved airstrikes on Iranian personnel and facilities in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for the attack, with the exact time dependent on weather factors.

The officials said that the cyberattack, which occurred more than a week prior to the announcement, was in response to the drone attack and was meant to hinder the vessel's ability to communicate with the Houthis.

"[13] Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was "confident the Biden Administration will respond in a deliberate and proportional manner.

"[13] Republican senators John Cornyn, Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham called on the White House to directly target Iran in response to the attacks.

[32] The governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, issued a statement mourning the "inexcusable loss of life" of the three soldiers, saying they "gave the last full measure of devotion in service to this country."

[18] Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the attack was a message to the US administration that "unless the killing of innocents in Gaza stops, it must confront the entire [Muslim] nation.

[12][34][38][39] Egypt's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, expressed solidarity, and affirmed its stance against any terrorist acts that threaten the stability and security of Jordan.

[42] Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz extended his condolences to the families of the soldiers killed in the attack and wished for a speedy recovery for the injured.

[44] The Syrian Democratic Forces commander-in-chief, Mazloum Abdi, condemned the attack, affirming the group's stance against violence and "any attempt to disrupt peace in the region".