Iran really wants to be attacked on its own soil. “Three US troops killed in drone attack in Jordan, more than 30 injured,” CNN, 1-28-24. “Three US Army soldiers were killed and more than 30 service members were injured in a drone attack overnight on a small US outpost in Jordan, US officials told CNN, marking the first time US troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war. “We shall respond,” President Joe Biden said while speaking in South Carolina on Sunday. The killing of three Americans at Tower 22 in Jordan near the border with Syria [near the al-Tanf base on the Syrian side] is a significant escalation of an already-precarious situation in the Middle East. Officials said the drone was fired by Iran-backed militants and appeared to come from Syria. It is still being determined which militia group specifically is responsible. US Central Command confirmed in a statement Sunday that three service members were killed and at least 34 injured in a one-way drone attack that “impacted at a base in northeast Jordan.””
“‘We shall respond’: Biden warns militants after 3 US troops killed in Jordan,” Politico, 1-28-24.
“Iran Seizes Vessel Carrying ‘Smuggled Fuel’,” RFE/RL, Radio Farda, 1-28-24.
“Iran launches 3 satellites into space as tensions rise,” NPR, 1-28-24.
“Iran To Equip Hovercrafts With Long-Range Missiles,” Eurasia Review, 1-28-24.
“Houthis and Iran are hurting China’s Red Sea trade,” Asia Times, 1-28-24.