Tower 22 was a small military outpost located in northeastern Jordan, near the Syrian border. It housed approximately 350 US Army and Air Force personnel and played a logistical role in supporting operations against ISIS in Syria.On January 28, 2024, Tower 22 was attacked by an Iranian-backed drone strike, resulting in the deaths of three US service members and injuring over 30 others. This marked the first deadly attack on US forces in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. The attack significantly has escalated tensions in the region, with the US vowing to respond.While Tower 22 was not officially named by the US military, it was widely reported in the media and confirmed by sources familiar with the matter. The base was described as being relatively small and located in a remote area.Following the attack, the US increased its security presence at Tower 22 and other facilities in the region.Reacting to the attacks, the US president Joe Biden condoled the deaths of the US service members and said While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.Last night, three US service members were killed—and many wounded—during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border. While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed… pic.twitter.com/190lMGwbrw— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024Iran refutes involvement in drone attack on US baseMeanwhile, the foreign ministry of Iran has refuted the claims of Tehrans involvement in the attack on a US base in Jordan. Nasser Kanaani, Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman, notified that the statements and non-constructive of some Western officials are threatening regional and international peace and stability.As we have clearly stated before, the resistance groups in the region are responding the war crimes and genocide of the child-killing Zionist regime and that they do not take orders from the Islamic Republic of Iran. These groups decide and act based on their own principles and priorities as well as the interests of their country and people, he underlined.It is to be noted here that this drone attack marks the first instance of US troops being killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the commencement of the Gaza war.
