A satellite image of the “Tower 22” base, which was targeted by a drone in northeastern Jordan (Reuters)

The Wall Street Journal said that an American drone was flying in the air, preventing response to the attack that targeted an American base near the Jordanian-Syrian border, which led to the death of 3 soldiers and the injury of 40 others.

The newspaper quoted American officials, whose identity was not revealed, as saying that a “friendly” drone was flying on its way back to the base at the moment it was attacked, which caused confusion about the attacking drone as it was not clear whether it was a friend or an enemy.

American officials said that investigations into the incident are still ongoing.

In a related context, Anadolu Agency quoted an American official as saying that no evidence has yet been found proving Iran’s responsibility for the attack on the American base in Jordan.

On Sunday, January 28, the US Army announced that three of its members were killed and dozens of others were injured in a drone attack on a base in Jordan, while Washington accused Iranian-backed armed groups of being behind the attack and vowed to respond to it.

The US Central Command said that the attack targeted the logistical support base at Tower 22 of the Jordanian defense network (northeast of Jordan) near the border with Syria, killing 3 soldiers and wounding 40 others.

In a statement yesterday, Monday, Iran's mission to the United Nations denied any role for Tehran in the attack.

The Politico website quoted American officials as saying that US President Joe Biden asked his advisors for response options that would deter any further attacks against American forces.

The officials said that the response options presented to the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) include striking Iranian naval assets in the Gulf waters and Iranian elements in Syria and Iraq.

They added that the American response is likely to come in waves against a group of targets, noting that the response may begin within two days from the date Biden gives the green light for such a military operation.

The attack is the first targeting that left American forces dead since the start of the war on Gaza last October.

Source: Al Jazeera + Anatolia