A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the drone that killed three American soldiers and injured more than 40 others at Tower 22 in Northeast Jordan on Sunday was manufactured by Iran.
While the attack was launched by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq, President Biden’s administration had previously said that it ultimately holds Iran responsible for the incident. Reuters first reported that the U.S. found Iran made the drone itself, citing multiple officials.
The officials did not offer any details regarding the model of the drone beyond stating that it was Iranian-made. They said the U.S. was able to confirm the origin thanks to shrapnel recovered at the site of the attack.
The Iraqi group, Kata’ib Hezbollah, said on Tuesday that it is halting military operations under pressure from the Iraqi government and the group’s backers in Iran.
Three U.S. soldiers were killed in Sunday’s drone attack in Jordan. From left to right, Sgt. William Rivers, Spc. Breonna Moffett, and Spc. Kennedy Sanders. (Fox News )
Kata’ib Hezbollah, which translates to “Brigades of the Party of God,” is responsible for a large majority of the more than 160 attacks against U.S. forces operating in Iraq and Syria since mid-October.
IRAN SAYS CLAIMS IT IS LINKED TO JORDAN DRONE ATTACK, DEATHS OF US SOLDIERS ARE ‘BASELESS’
“We announce the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces — in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government,” the group’s leader, Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, said in a statement late Tuesday.
The American military base in northeastern Jordan known as Tower 22 is seen in this satellite photograph. Three American soldiers were killed and 40 others were wounded in a drone strike against the base on Sunday. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
Nevertheless, Biden’s administration says it has already decided on retaliatory measures to take against Iran and its proxy groups over the attack. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby has declined to offer details about the form or timeline of the response.
34 AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS INJURED, 8 EVACUATED FROM JORDAN FOLLOWING ATTACK
Iran has likewise vowed to respond to any attack against it in kind.
Biden’s administration says it has already decided on retaliatory measures to take against Iran and its proxy groups over Sunday’s attack. (Photo by Probst/ullstein bild via Getty Images,Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
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Iran has long been known to support terrorist groups operating throughout the Middle East. In addition to the Iraqi group, Iran also supports Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, among others.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
