Preliminary probe suggests enemy drone that killed US troops in Jordan was mistaken for a US drone
WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) β An enemy drone that killed three U.S. troops and injured dozens of others in Jordan may have been mistaken for a U.S. drone returning to the U.S. installation, a U.S. official said.
The official, who was not authorized to comment and insisted on anonymity, said Monday that preliminary reports suggest the enemy drone that struck the installation known as Tower 22 may have been mistaken for a U.S. drone that was in the air at the same time. used to be.
The official said that while the enemy drone flew in at low altitude, a US drone returned to the base. As a result, there was no attempt to shoot down the enemy drone.
The explanation for how the enemy drone evaded U.S. air defenses at the installation came as the White House said Monday it is not looking for war with Iran even as President Joe Biden vows retaliation. The Democratic government believes Tehran was behind the strike.
The brazen attack, which the Biden administration blames on Iran-based proxies, adds an additional layer of complexity to the already tense situation in the Middle East as the Biden administration tries to prevent the war between Israel and Hamas expands into a broader regional conflict.
βThe president and I will not tolerate attacks on U.S. forces, and we will take all necessary measures to defend the U.S. and our forces,β Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday during his Pentagon meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.