Drone from Iran proxy evaded US defenses because it was mistaken for US drone: official

A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News the drone from an Iranian proxy that killed 3 American service members in Jordan and injured others got past the air defenses for Tower 22 because it was mistaken for a U.S. drone expected to return to the base at the same time. 

The Wall Street Journal initially reported on this development on Monday. A U.S. official confirmed the information to Fox News. 

A U.S. official told Fox News that the American drone and the attacking one were "in the vicinity" of one another. 

President Biden has vowed to take action against Iranian-backed militants in the Middle East after the drone attack at Tower 22, a post in Jordan near Syria's border, over the weekend.

At the top of the White House daily press briefing Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Biden "met twice with the national security team yesterday, and today he's weighing the options before him." "As he said yesterday, we will respond. We'll do that on our schedule, in our time," Kirby said. "And we'll do it in a manner of the president's choosing as commander in chief. We'll also do it fully cognizant of the fact that these groups backed by Tehran have just taken the lives of American troops."

The troops struck were conducting a vital mission in the region aimed at helping us work with partners to counter ISIS. 

IRAN SAYS CLAIMS IT IS LINKED TO JORDAN DRONE ATTACK, DEATHS OF US SOLDIERS ARE 'BASELESS'

The mission "has been longstanding and unrelated to our efforts to support Israel and to prevent a wider conflict in the region," Kirby said. "We do not seek another war. We do not seek to escalate. But we will absolutely do what is required to protect ourselves, to continue that mission and to respond appropriately to these attacks." 

A U.S. military official told Fox News the eight U.S. service members that were medically evacuated from Tower 22 in Jordan on Sunday were sent to the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center for further medical support. Five of them were assessed for mild TBI's and have since returned to duty. Three of them will be sent to Landstuhl military medical center in Germany.

"We are not looking for a war with Iran. We are not seeking a conflict with the regime in a military way," Kirby reiterated later. "We're not we're not looking to escalate here. This attack over the weekend was escalatory. Make no mistake about it. And it requires a response. Make no mistake about that. I will not get ahead of the president's decision-making."

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows a military base known as Tower 22 in northeastern Jordan, on Oct. 12, 2023.  (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

According to U.S. officials who spoke with the Journal, the enemy drone was launched from Iraq by a militia backed by Tehran, but Iran rejected "baseless" claims it was linked to the attack.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin addressed the attack when he returned to work at the Pentagon earlier on Monday after nearly a month's absence because of prostate cancer. 

"Let me start with my outrage and sorrow for the deaths of three brave U.S. troops in Jordan and for the other troops who were wounded. The president and I will not tolerate attack on U.S. forces. And we will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and our troops," Austin said, while meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., who serves on the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees and is a former U.S. Army special forces commander, told Fox News’ Harris Faulkner on Monday that Iran "has gotten the message loud and clear that they can get away with it." 

34 AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS INJURED, 8 EVACUATED FROM JORDAN FOLLOWING ATTACK 

"To the extent we do respond, it will be feckless," he said. "I’ve talked to soldiers out in the field and to commanders that are out in the Middle East right now. We’re bombing empty warehouses in the middle of the night so that the administration can check the box to look like they’re doing something in response but they’re still beholden to this appeasement strategy when it comes to Iran." 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin listens listens during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Pentagon in Washington, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024.  (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

"This is blood on this administration’s hands," he added. 

Waltz also reacted to the breaking news about the base mistaking the drone for its own. 

"At this point, I’m speculating, and we’ll be asking for briefings on exactly what happened. Did our defensive measures fail? Had they captured one of their drones and reverse engineered theirs? This is the cat and mouse game that’s going on," Waltz said. "But bigger picture, we’re shooting down these $30,000-40,000 drones with $2-3 million missiles – it’s not sustainable, and from my position as the chairman of military readiness, we’re going to be pressing the Pentagon, how are we reacting when you can throw thousands of these things at very little cost – can literally buy them on Chinese websites, like Alibaba.…" 

President Joe Biden speaks at South Carolina's First in the Nation dinner at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, S.C., Jan. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

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"That’s a broader issue of how we have to adjust in the tactical space, but strategically, we have a fundamental, in this administration, misunderstanding of deterrents. They’re so obsessed with non-escalation that it’s actually inviting escalation and now people are dead because of it," he said. 

In an update later Sunday, U.S. Central Command said that the number of U.S. personnel with injuries increased from 25 to at least 34 service members, but the number was expected to fluctuate as service members continued to seek follow-on care. Eight personnel who were injured required evacuation from Jordan to higher level care, but they are in stable condition, CENTCOM said. All other service members are being fully evaluated. The three service members killed have not yet been identified.