In a recent drone strike conducted by Iran-backed proxy groups in Jordan, three American troops were tragically killed, and dozens more sustained injuries. This attack marks one of the approximately 160 assaults on U.S. forces in the Middle East over the past three months. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a statement condemning the continued attacks by Iran-backed militias and affirmed that the United States would respond at a time and place of its choosing. Austin emphasized that such attacks would not be tolerated, and all necessary actions would be taken to defend American troops, interests, and the United States itself.
The Pentagon has been receiving bipartisan calls from senior members of the Armed Services Committees, urging strikes not only against Iranian proxy forces but also Iranian targets and its leadership. Both Senator Roger Wicker, the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Adam Smith, the senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, have stressed the need for Iran to be held accountable.
