By Ari Schaffer
On January 28th, 2024, a drone containing several explosives infiltrated a United States military outpost located proximal to the border of Jordan. The device successfully evaded detection due to soldiers mistaking the technology for US equipment. The drone exploded near the living quarters of “Tower 22,” resulting in the deaths of three soldiers: 23-year-old Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffet, 24-year-old Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, and 46-year-old Sergeant William Jerome Rivers. Forty-seven additional individuals were reported to suffer injuries, ranging from minor bruises to severe brain trauma. For the first time since the Israel-Palestine War erupted, US troops were murdered.
The perpetrators of the heinous action are members of a coalition referred to as the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq.'' Associates of the group participate in violence against the United States and Israel to display support for Hamas in the Israel-Palestinian Conflict. It is believed that the assaults will weaken the opposing militaries, allowing Hamas to achieve victory. The organization further receives assistance from the Iranian government through funding and weapons. Therefore, the United States believed the attack on Tower 22 was directed by the nation of Iran due to decades of feuding.
The disagreements began in 1953 when the United States and the United Kingdom cooperated to overthrow the democratically elected President. The leader was replaced by an absolute monarch, despite the citizens expressing opposition. The newly appointed Shah was immensely influenced by the US and UK, permitting the countries to use their supply of oil. In 1979, an Iranian Revolution forced the Shah to relinquish power and Ayatollah Khomeini assumed control. The US government responded with the freezing of Iranian assets in US banks, prompting Khomeini to authorize the capturing of fifty-two US diplomats as hostages. For four-hundred-forty-four days, American representatives were held in captivity. Thus, the United States allocated its support to Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988. The conflict did not produce a clear winner, yet Iran faced substantial economic difficulties and loss of life.
Immediately following the attack on Tower 22, President Joe Biden announced that the government would rapidly retaliate to the ambush. On February 1st, 2024, the White House approved airstrikes on Iranian and Syrian facilities connected to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. On February 2nd, eighty-five airstrikes destroyed seven distinct regions in the two countries. President Biden does not intend to initiate a war with Iran and Syria, arguing the operation was to protect security.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/29/jordan-drone-iran-biden-00138363
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-retaliatory-strikes-start-iraq-syria-first-response-jordan-drone-at-rcna136928
https://www.rferl.org/a/jordan-united-states-attack-soldiers-identified-iran-backed-militia/32797579.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/29/us/politics/us-troops-drone-attack-jordan-iran.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/3-us-troops-killed-drone-attack-jordan-rcna136065
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/28/politics/us-troops-drone-attack-jordan/index.html
https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-relations-iran-1953-2023