Retired colonel: This is the best option to respond to the killing of US troops in drone strike

Summary

The script reports on a deadly drone attack by an Iran-backed militia on a U.S. military outpost in Jordan, killing 3 troops and injuring 30. Experts discuss possible U.S. responses, including strikes on Iranian assets in Iran, which could escalate tensions. Meanwhile, the U.S. is trying to broker an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal to provide humanitarian relief in Gaza. Despite tensions, experts believe the U.S. and Iran want to avoid major confrontation, though limited strikes are likely.

Takeaways

• 😰 A deadly drone attack by an Iranian-backed militia killed 3 US troops and injured over 30 at a US outpost in Jordan near the Syrian border
• 👀 The attack raises questions about security vulnerabilities at US installations in the region
• ⚔️ The US is weighing how to respond to the escalation, with options ranging from strikes on militias in Iraq/Syria to potential strikes on Iranian assets
• 😡 Some US lawmakers are calling for strikes on Iranian assets in response
• 😕 The tensions come amid ongoing efforts by the US to broker ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas
• 😬 Any US strikes on Iran would be risky, as Iran sees that as a red line
• 🤔 The US wants to send a strong message without triggering broader conflict with Iran
• ⚖️ Hitting Iranian proxies in Iraq/Syria allows some response without crossing Iran's red line
• ⏳ Timing of strikes complicated by ongoing Israel-Hamas talks brokered by US
• 😥 The situation risks spiraling into a dangerous escalation absent ceasefires on multiple fronts

Q & A

What happened in the attack?

A deadly drone attack was carried out on a small U.S. outpost in Jordan near the border with Syria and Iraq, killing 3 U.S. troops and injuring more than 30.

Which group is suspected of carrying out the attack?

Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia group, is suspected of carrying out the attack.

Where is the U.S. outpost located?

The outpost known as Tower 22 is located near the tripoint border area between Syria, Iraq and Jordan. It is near the U.S. base at Al-Tanf in Syria.

Why is the location of Tower 22 significant?

Tower 22 is located at a strategic point overlooking smuggling routes between Syria, Jordan and Iraq. It has been used to provide supplies and support against ISIS forces in Syria.

How might the U.S. respond to the attack?

The U.S. may respond by striking Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces in Iraq/Syria or Iranian naval assets in the Persian Gulf. Hitting targets inside Iran is considered risky.

How does this attack impact U.S.-Iran tensions?

This attack significantly raises tensions between the U.S. and Iran. It may prompt a U.S. response against Iran which could trigger further escalations.

What are the hostage negotiation efforts?

The U.S. sent the CIA director to Europe to try to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas to return hostages and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

How does the attack impact hostage negotiations?

The attack may complicate hostage negotiations, but likely will not completely derail them if both sides want a pause in violence.

What are the options for the U.S. response?

The options range from bad to worse. The U.S. will likely respond, either against Iranian proxies or assets. Hitting inside Iran is risky but possible.

What happens next?

In the next few days we are likely to see a U.S. response to the attack. Tensions will escalate further before any negotiations make progress.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Breaking News: Deadly Drone Attack on U.S. Troops in Jordan

This paragraph discusses breaking news of a deadly drone attack on a U.S. military outpost in Jordan near the Syrian border that killed 3 troops and injured 30. CNN analysts Colonel Leighton and Aaron David Miller provide reaction and analysis, suggesting the attack was likely carried out by an Iranian-backed militia and will likely draw a U.S. response.

05:01

🤔 Assessing U.S. Response Options Against Iran

This paragraph has the analysts further discussing how the U.S. may respond to the attack, including potential strikes on Iranian assets in Iran or Iraqi militias. They note the risks of escalation but expect a significant U.S. response. There is also discussion of ongoing efforts by the CIA director to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Keywords

💡militia group

The video discusses a drone attack by an unidentified militia group that killed U.S. troops. Militia groups in the region are often Iran-backed and targeting U.S. forces, representing escalating regional tensions.

💡escalation

There is concern that the attack will prompt a U.S. response and further escalation between the U.S. and Iranian proxies. The situation is viewed as a 'serious escalation' that is 'raising the ante'.

💡Iranian proxies

The militia group behind the attack is suspected to be an Iranian proxy such as Kataeb Hezbollah. This exemplifies the threat to U.S. troops from Iran-backed militias in the region.

💡force protection

The vulnerability of the base raises questions about security and 'force protection' of U.S. installations against attacks from militias.

💡warning shot

Potential U.S. responses include a 'warning shot' against Iranian naval assets, signaling retaliation while avoiding outright conflict.

💡hostage negotiations

Separate diplomatic efforts are underway for Israel-Hamas hostage negotiations, which could be disrupted by increasing Middle East tensions.

💡humanitarian assistance

A pause in violence could allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza, part of broader efforts to de-escalate the crisis.

💡casualties

Rising casualties and pressure from hostage families has increased motivation on both sides for a pause in violence.

💡kinetic phase

Israel may have reached the limits of the 'most intense kinetic phase' of operations in Gaza, creating incentive to pause.

💡Middle East negotiations

The overall theme is navigating a crisis environment with tensions on multiple Middle East fronts, requiring negotiations and calibrated responses.

Highlights

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Transcripts

We continue to follow the

breaking news out of the Middle

The U.S.

is working to identify

exactly which

militia group

carried out a deadly drone attac

on a small U.S.

outpost in Jordan that killed th

troops and injured more than 30

This happening near the border

with Syria and Iraq.

And joining me now to talk about

CNN military analyst and retired

Air Force Colonel

Cedric Leighton and former Middl

East negotiator for the State

Department, Aaron David Miller.

Colonel, I guess let me go to yo

Your reaction

to this deadly attack on U.S. tr

There have been

these moments

that we've seen

over the last several weeks

where these Iran backed militias

have been wreaking havoc, been a

to U.S. forces in the region.

Obviously, this time

it's much more serious and it ma

bring about a U.S. response.

Yeah, I think it certainly will,

And good to be with you again.

This is a really serious escalat

at this point

and what it has done

because of the deaths

of at least three

American service members

and the injuries of 30 more 30 p

soldiers, it is clearly

raising the ante here.

And the group that did this,

whichever one it was,

is clearly asking for a response

from the U.S.

And what that, of course, means.

It remains to be seen.

But one of the key suspects here

is probably Kataeb

Hezbollah, the group in Iraq.

That is an Iranian main

Iranian proxy there.

I could be one of the other

Iranian proxies,

but it clearly points

to a possible

escalation in that direction.

And before we go to Aaron,

Colonel, just a quick follow up.

Can you tell us more about this

outpost known as Tower 22 in Jor

and the military

installations that are located

in that general area?

This sounds a bit of a remote ou

and I wonder if it raises the qu

about security

at some of these installations w

forces may be vulnerable

to this sort of thing.

Yeah, it certainly does raise

a lot of security questions

and, of course,

force protection,

as we call

security in

the military, is a key

and dominant mission requirement

forces there.

But this base, Tower 22,

is right near the base of our co

Which is in Syria.

So it's

tower 22 is right on the Jordan

Syria border,

but it's also close to the

what they call the tri point

where three countries come toget

in this case Syria, Iraq and Jor

And because of that,

it's in a unique position

where it can oversee

a lot of the smuggling routes

that have in there for thousands

between all of the different are

within Syria and Jordan and Iraq

And it is at a very strategic

location, has provided

a lot of supplies to Al-Tanf,

which is the primary base

in this part of Syria

that has been used against the

ISIS forces

that we fought against

over the last few years.

And, Aaron,

President Biden

has been briefed on the attack.

He's released a statement vowing

to hold those responsible accoun

We're already seeing calls

from Republican lawmakers

for a strike inside Iran.

As a matter of fact,

we talked to

Congressman Adam Smith

at the top of the hour

and he said that

perhaps some

sites in Iran

should be considered

for some sort of proportionate r

What might that do to the situat

that obviously

has been simmering

with a lot of tensions

over the last several weeks?

I mean, obviously,

things could

get way more escalated

if something like that happens.

You know, whether we're on the c

Thanks for having insurance.

Great, Joe Crowley.

Whether we're on the cusp

of a regional war or not, I don'

We're

almost five months in February 7

will be the fifth month of this

And and you're

looking at controlled escalation

to a large degree

across the Israeli-Lebanese bord

And even these these attacks

against American bases and

and troops in Iraq and Syria.

I think the administration on th

has options that run from bad to

And I think there were only two

They're going to respond.

Question

is, are they going to respond

against Iranian Revolutionary

Guard Corps actual

forces in Iraq and or Syria or,

as Adam Smith suggested,

are they going to risk something

that this administration,

none of its predecessors have do

and that is to strike Iranian as

in Iran proper,

which for

the Iranians is a

self-proclaimed red line.

Whether or not

that proves to be the case,

we may actually begin to find ou

The other option,

of course,

is to strike

fast boats and Iranian naval ass

in the Gulf.

But the administration, understa

given the regional hotspots

that the Israeli-Hamas war has g

has a certain amount of risk ave

in their own response.

I mean, they've responded

actually to what, 100 and 6070 a

since October,

maybe a 10th of those we've resp

I think on this one, however,

you're going to see some

you're going to see some firewor

And I think I still think we're

this is not going to trip

the US and Iran

into a major confrontation.

But it certainly raises the stak

Colonel, what do you think?

Can the U.S.

hit Iran

without hitting inside

Iranian territory

as as Aaron is suggesting, and p

strike a balance that sends a me

without getting things out of co

I think it's imperative that the

does that, Jim.

And, you know,

as Aaron was pointing out,

this is you know,

there are several options here.

Most of them are very bad.

But the best option of

of a bad series of choices

is going to be to hit something

that is very important to the Ir

But it is not

something that is strikes

at the poor of the regime

or at the core of

some of their capabilities.

But it would serve as a warning

and to something

like attacking naval outfits

in the Persian Gulf, something l

And it kind of goes up to the li

But, you know,

they could do that

or they could stick

with hitting the proxies

in either Iraq or Syria.

But if there is a hand that is h

that is revealed for, let's say,

the contact

from Tehran,

that that perhaps directed this

then they have to consider

going all that way

to send a message to the Iranian

And, Aaron,

while all of this is unfolding,

the president had sent

the CIA director to Europe in th

of reviving these hostage negoti

to get some kind of deal

going between Israel and Hamas,

to simmer things down.

I wonder,

do you think the Iranians

were trying to blow this up?

They were

trying to

have an impact on on this proces

What do you think?

And could this

could this get worse

if we don't see a deal reached?

Well, it's definitely going to g

It's going to get worse

before it gets worse, I suspect.

But I you know,

I usually am pretty

knowingly negative on these matt

Bill Burns has a very close rela

with Mossad director David Barne

The Israelis actually,

I think, are under an enormous a

of pressure,

rising pressure

from the hostage families,

growing casualties.

The IDF is understanding that

they may well have reached the l

of the most intense kinetic phas

and a pause two months,

which the Israelis could resume

against the Hamas leadership,

would, in fact, to do a couple o

It would allow a surge,

not a dribble of humanitarian as

which is badly needed in the Gaz

It would free

the hundred plus hostages that r

and the return of the 20

or 30 that the Israelis believe

are no longer living either.

Killed on October 7th,

their bodies taken to Gaza

to trade for Palestinian prisone

or died in captivity.

I think it would offer some resp

badly needed.

Will, what's happening in in

with respect to this attack in t

derail that? I don't think so.

I think if Hamas and the Israeli

both want a pause, then the U.S.

is well-positioned,

I think, right now to try to del

But remember,

Middle East

negotiations only have two speed

Jim, is slow and slower.

So this may take some time.

All right,

Colonel Leighton, Aaron David Mi

thanks so much to both of you.

Really appreciate the insights

on an important night.

A lot of

critical things happening,

I think, in the next couple of d

ahead. We'll stay on top of it.

Really appreciate that. Thanks s