U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has announced that the U.S. response to the attack targeting American forces in Jordan will be “multi-level,” emphasizing that the United States has the capability to respond on multiple fronts. Austin stated that those responsible for the attack on a U.S. base in northeastern Jordan last Sunday will be held accountable.
This announcement comes in the wake of reports from CBS News citing U.S. officials, indicating that approval has been given for a series of strikes in Iraq and Syria over the course of several days. These strikes are expected to target individuals of Iranian origin and Iranian facilities.
U.S. officials have noted that weather conditions play a significant role in the timing of these strikes, with Washington preferring to execute them when visibility is clear to avoid civilian casualties. Four U.S. officials told Reuters that the drone believed to have carried out the attack is of Iranian manufacture, though specific details about the drone have not been disclosed.
Washington has previously stated that the attack bears the “hallmarks” of the Iran-affiliated group “Kata’ib Hezbollah,” based in Iraq. The group had recently suspended its operations against U.S. forces in the days leading up to the attack to avoid embarrassing the Iraqi government.
Meanwhile, Reuters, citing informed sources, reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has begun reducing the presence of senior officers in Syria due to a series of lethal Israeli strikes. Iranian sources indicate that Iran’s decision to withdraw senior officers is partly driven by a desire to avoid being drawn into an escalating conflict in the Middle East. However, Iran maintains its commitment to supporting its allies, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah, in Syria.
According to Reuters sources, the Revolutionary Guard is once again recruiting Shiite fighters from Afghanistan and Pakistan for deployment in Syria. A source close to Iran stated that there is now a greater reliance on Syrian Shiite militias in the region.
