US retaliatory airstrikes updates: White House vows to take 'more action'

Saturday's strikes in Yemen followed ones in Iraq and Syria the day prior.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Jon Haworth, and Nadine El-Bawab
Last Updated: February 4, 2024, 10:47 AM EST

The United States on Friday began to carry out airstrikes against Iran-backed militants and Iranian military targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a drone attack on an American base in Jordan on Jan. 28 that killed three U.S. service members.

Dozens of other American troops were wounded in the drone attack on the Tower 22 base near Jordan's border with Iraq and Syria. The U.S. says Iran is responsible for funding and arming the militants while Iran has denied involvement.

U.S. President Joe Biden had quickly warned that America would respond forcefully, escalating U.S. involvement in the Middle East after months of trying to contain tensions from boiling over into a broader war in the region.

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Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 2, 1:59 pm

What we know about the drone attack on US base in Jordan

The U.S. has attributed the drone attack on the American base in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias.

According to a U.S. official, the drone that successfully hit the base was an Iranian-made Shahed drone, similar to those used by the Russians on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Iran has denied involvement in the Jordan strike. But President Joe Biden earlier this week faulted Iran for providing munitions and funding to these different proxy groups.

The U.S. base is known as Tower 22, a major logistical hub for U.S. troops still in Syria on a mission to prevent a resurgence by Islamic State fighters. According to Central Command, there are approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel deployed to the base.

In this Maxar satellite image, Tower 22, which houses a small number of U.S. troops, is shown in northern Jordan.
2024 Maxar Technologies via Getty Images

Feb 02, 2024, 1:45 PM EST

US will have a 'multi-tiered' response

The Biden administration has been preparing to strike back in the Middle East after three American troops were killed and dozens more wounded in a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday.

"We will have multi-tiered response, and again, we have the ability to respond a number of times depending on what the situation is," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Thursday.

The Pentagon has declined to get into specifics on when and where the strikes would take place, although Austin said the goal is to degrade the capabilities of Iran-backed militants without plunging the region into a broader war

A U.S. official familiar with the plan said the strikes will unfold across several days and hit multiple countries including Iraq, Syria and possibly Yemen.