Tehran says it ‘had nothing to do with’ attack near Syrian border after US president vows Washington will respond ‘at a time and in a manner of our choosing’
See all coverage of Israel-Gaza war and Middle East crisis
Tehran has denied any involvement in a drone strike that killed three US troops at a base in Jordan, near the border with Syria, after US President Joe Biden blamed Iran-backed militia and vowed revenge.
In a statement published by the state news agency Irna, Tehran’s UN mission said: “Iran had no connection and had nothing to do with the attack on the US base,” adding: “There is a conflict between US forces and resistance groups in the region, which reciprocate retaliatory attacks.”
The US will respond to the attack on its troops, Biden said. During a campaign event at South Carolina on Sunday following the strike, Biden said: “We shall respond.” In his earlier statement he also said: “Have no doubt – we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing.”
Responsibility for Saturday’s attack on Tower 22, a military outpost on the Jordanian Syrian Iraqi borders was claimed by the Iranian-backed umbrella group Islamic Resistance. The groups have long been trying to drive the US troops out of Iraq and Syria, but have used the war in Gaza as the backdrop to intensify these efforts and broaden the battleground.
A senior official with Hamas, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the attacks on US forces were tied directly to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. Speaking to Reuters, Abu Zuhri said: “The killing of three American soldiers is a message to the US administration that unless the killing of innocents in Gaza stops, it must confront the entire nation.”
At least 165 Palestinians were killed and 290 injured over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s health ministry said on Sunday. That brings the total number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli onslaught on Gaza to 26,422 since 7 October, not including the thousands thought to be buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings. The huge death toll comes despite last week’s ICJ interim ruling that Israel must do everything possible to avoid killing Palestinian civilians.
Palestinian medics and residents said Israel continued to bomb areas around the two main hospitals in Khan Younis, hindering efforts by rescue teams to respond to desperate calls from people caught in the Israeli bombardment. “There is a complete failure of the healthcare system at Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals,” said health ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra.
The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, has appealed to the 10 donor countries that have withdrawn funding from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to reconsider, saying the agency and Palestinians in desperate need should not be penalised due to the alleged acts of a dozen staff. Guterres said nine UNRWA staff had already been dismissed for alleged involvement in Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October and any UN employee involved in acts of terror would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned in recent weeks that ordinary Gazans are at risk of famine after Israel stopped most food aid from entering the territory and cut off water supplies.
Continue reading… The Guardian Read More Tehran says it ‘had nothing to do with’ attack near Syrian border after US president vows Washington will respond ‘at a time and in a manner of our choosing’See all coverage of Israel-Gaza war and Middle East crisisTehran has denied any involvement in a drone strike that killed three US troops at a base in Jordan, near the border with Syria, after US President Joe Biden blamed Iran-backed militia and vowed revenge.In a statement published by the state news agency Irna, Tehran’s UN mission said: “Iran had no connection and had nothing to do with the attack on the US base,” adding: “There is a conflict between US forces and resistance groups in the region, which reciprocate retaliatory attacks.”The US will respond to the attack on its troops, Biden said. During a campaign event at South Carolina on Sunday following the strike, Biden said: “We shall respond.” In his earlier statement he also said: “Have no doubt – we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing.”Responsibility for Saturday’s attack on Tower 22, a military outpost on the Jordanian Syrian Iraqi borders was claimed by the Iranian-backed umbrella group Islamic Resistance. The groups have long been trying to drive the US troops out of Iraq and Syria, but have used the war in Gaza as the backdrop to intensify these efforts and broaden the battleground.A senior official with Hamas, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the attacks on US forces were tied directly to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. Speaking to Reuters, Abu Zuhri said: “The killing of three American soldiers is a message to the US administration that unless the killing of innocents in Gaza stops, it must confront the entire nation.”At least 165 Palestinians were killed and 290 injured over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s health ministry said on Sunday. That brings the total number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli onslaught on Gaza to 26,422 since 7 October, not including the thousands thought to be buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings. The huge death toll comes despite last week’s ICJ interim ruling that Israel must do everything possible to avoid killing Palestinian civilians.Palestinian medics and residents said Israel continued to bomb areas around the two main hospitals in Khan Younis, hindering efforts by rescue teams to respond to desperate calls from people caught in the Israeli bombardment. “There is a complete failure of the healthcare system at Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals,” said health ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra.The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, has appealed to the 10 donor countries that have withdrawn funding from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to reconsider, saying the agency and Palestinians in desperate need should not be penalised due to the alleged acts of a dozen staff. Guterres said nine UNRWA staff had already been dismissed for alleged involvement in Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October and any UN employee involved in acts of terror would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned in recent weeks that ordinary Gazans are at risk of famine after Israel stopped most food aid from entering the territory and cut off water supplies. Continue reading…
