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Gone quiet · last update Dec 17, 2024 / Iran

Militia attacks on US troops in the Middle East and the Jordan drone strike

Overview · reviewed October 17, 2026

Iran-backed militias attacked US troops in Syria in 2022 and 2023, and after the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023 they repeatedly attacked US troops in Iraq and Syria,[1][2] and the United States struck back at sites linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.[3][4] On January 28, 2024, a drone attack on Tower 22, a US outpost in Jordan, killed three US soldiers and wounded dozens.[5][16] The largest Iraqi militia, Kataib Hezbollah, said it would halt its attacks,[6] and the United States carried out retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria, including one that killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander in Baghdad.[7][8]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

On January 28, 2024, a drone attack on Tower 22, a US outpost in Jordan, killed three US soldiers and wounded dozens.[5][16] The largest Iraqi militia, Kataib Hezbollah, said it would halt its attacks,[6] and the United States carried out retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria, including one that killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander in Baghdad.[7][8]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Jan 2022: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJun 2022: average weekly share 2% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2022: average weekly share 5% (left 1%, center 3%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksNov 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2023: average weekly share 1% (left 0%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2023: average weekly share 1% (left 0%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2023: average weekly share 9% (left 3%, center 4%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2023: average weekly share under 1% (left 0%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJun 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2023: average weekly share 7% (left 2%, center 4%, right 2%), from 5 of 5 weeksNov 2023: average weekly share 9% (left 2%, center 5%, right 3%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2023: average weekly share 7% (left 2%, center 4%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2024: average weekly share 15% (left 4%, center 6%, right 4%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2024: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksMay 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 2% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 7 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (27 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Dec 16, 2024413421 of 2269%
Feb 12, 20243317 of 2423%
Feb 5, 202446010 of 2424%
Jan 29, 2024344430108 of 23546%
Jan 22, 202419302170 of 23829%
Dec 25, 20231124944 of 20721%
Dec 11, 20232215 of 2252%
Dec 4, 202327514 of 2176%
Nov 20, 202315511 of 2015%
Nov 13, 20236211239 of 21518%
Nov 6, 20231217534 of 23714%
Oct 30, 20231203 of 2331%
Oct 23, 202316301359 of 23825%
Oct 16, 2023811928 of 24811%
Apr 10, 20230325 of 2542%
Mar 27, 20233115 of 2782%
Mar 20, 202323361978 of 23333%
Feb 13, 20230325 of 1813%
Jan 16, 20230415 of 1883%
Aug 22, 2022920837 of 20019%
Aug 15, 20221629 of 1835%
Aug 1, 20221124 of 2012%
Jun 20, 20221438 of 2044%
Jun 6, 20221304 of 1862%
Jan 24, 20221315 of 1983%
Jan 10, 20223126 of 2003%
Jan 3, 20222338 of 1884%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Dec 16, 2024 · first reported · Headline from NBC New York

    Two charged in connection with Iran drone strike that killed 3 US troops in the Middle East

Background

In August 2022, the United States carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria after attacks on American troops, saying it sought to prevent further attacks.[1] Rocket attacks during that exchange left three US service members with minor injuries.[9] In March 2023, an attack by a drone the Pentagon suspected was of Iranian origin killed a US contractor and wounded six other Americans at a facility in northeast Syria, and the United States struck Iran-backed groups in response,[2] with President Joe Biden vowing to "forcefully" protect US personnel.[10]

Read the full background (5 more paragraphs)

In mid-October 2023, drones targeted US bases in Iraq, including al-Asad Air Base, slightly injuring coalition troops, as Iran-backed militias in Iraq threatened to attack US facilities over American support for Israel.[11] In late October, the US military said it had struck two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards in retaliation for attacks on US personnel.[4] By the end of the month, US forces in Iraq and Syria had been attacked 23 times since October 17, by groups the Pentagon said were backed by Iran.[3] The United States struck again in eastern Syria in November, saying it was defending its personnel amid further attacks on US bases.[12]

In December, a rocket attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad caused minor damage but no casualties, US and Iraqi officials said.[13] After a drone attack injured three US service members in northern Iraq, President Joe Biden ordered strikes on Iran-backed militia groups.[14] In January 2024, the US military struck three facilities in Iraq used by an Iran-backed militia, following militia attacks on al-Asad Air Base.[15]

On Sunday, January 28, a drone struck Tower 22, a US outpost in northeastern Jordan, killing three soldiers and wounding dozens. President Joe Biden blamed Iran-backed militant groups.[5][16] The soldiers were William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Ladon Sanders and Breonna Alexsondria Moffett.[18] Iran denied involvement in the attack.[17]

Kataib Hezbollah, the largest Iran-backed militia in Iraq, unexpectedly announced that it would stop attacking US forces, citing respect for the Iraqi government.[6] On February 2, Biden attended the return of the three soldiers' remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.[18] US aircraft began striking dozens of sites used by Iran-backed militias and Iran's Revolutionary Guards in Iraq and Syria;[7] a monitoring group said at least 18 members of Iran-backed groups were killed in Syria. Syria's defense ministry also said civilians and soldiers were among those killed.[19] On February 7, a US drone strike in Baghdad killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander whom US Central Command held responsible for attacks on American forces.[8]

In December 2024, two men, one of them a dual Iranian American citizen, were arrested on charges that they exported sensitive US technology to Iran. Prosecutors alleged the technology was used in the drone attack that killed the three soldiers in Jordan.[20]

Supporting stories (20)
  1. U.S. strikes target Iran-backed militias in Syria
  2. U.S. Strikes Iranian-Backed Groups in Syria After Drone Attack Kills One American and Wounds Six
  3. US forces have been attacked 23 times in Iraq, Syria since Hamas assault on Israel
  4. US strikes 2 Iran-linked sites in Syria in retaliation for attacks on US troops
  5. US blames group of Iran-backed militias for deadly drone attack in Jordan as it weighs reprisals
  6. Kataib Hezbollah announces halt of attacks on US forces
  7. US begins strikes on militias in Iraq, Syria, retaliating for fatal drone attack, officials tell AP
  8. US conducts strike in Iraq on Kataib Hezbollah commander responsible for attacks on US
  9. Three U.S. troops in Syria suffer minor injuries in rocket attacks launched by suspected Iran-backed militants
  10. Biden: US will 'forcefully' protect personnel in Syria
  11. Troops hurt after 3 drones attack US bases in Iraq as tensions flare after Gaza hospital blast
  12. US conducts airstrikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria, retaliating for attacks on US troops - The Daily Reporter
  13. A rocket attack targets the US Embassy in Baghdad, causing minor damage but no casualties
  14. Biden Orders Strike on Iranian-Aligned Group After 3 US Troops Injured in Drone Attack in Iraq
  15. US conducts strikes on facilities in Iraq used by Iran-backed militia group
  16. What Is Tower 22, the Military Base that Was Attacked in Jordan Where 3 US Troops Were Killed?
  17. Israel-Hamas war: Iran denies links to Jordan drone strike – DW
  18. Biden attends dignified transfer of 3 US troops killed in Jordan drone attack
  19. What we know about US strikes on Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria
  20. Two charged in connection with Iran drone strike that killed 3 US troops in the Middle East

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 52 recorded updates

December 2024

  1. Two charged in connection with Iran drone strike that killed 3 US troops in the Middle EastHeadline from NBC New York · 22 outlets

February 2024

  1. Funerals getting underway in Georgia for 3 Army Reserve soldiers killed in Jordan drone attackHeadline from Valdosta Daily Times · 7 outlets
  2. US conducts strike in Iraq on Kataib Hezbollah commander responsible for attacks on USHeadline from CNN · 5 outlets
  3. US warns of further retaliation if Iran-backed militias continue their attacksHeadline from Sioux City Journal · 5 outlets
  4. An Iranian-backed militia official downplays the US strikes in Iraq, hints at deescalationHeadline from MyNorthwest · 15 outlets
  5. US begins strikes on militias in Iraq, Syria, retaliating for fatal drone attack, officials tell APHeadline from Sioux City Journal · 41 outlets
  6. Biden attends dignified transfer of 3 US troops killed in Jordan drone attackHeadline from FOX 35 Orlando · 39 outlets

January 2024

  1. What we know about US strikes on Iran-linked targets in Iraq and SyriaHeadline from France 24 · 29 outlets
  2. Kataib Hezbollah announces halt of attacks on US forcesHeadline from Al Jazeera · 5 outlets
  3. US bolsters defenses around Jordan base as it readies strikes in response to drone attackHeadline from The Republic · 10 outlets
  4. Iran threatens to ‘decisively respond' to any US attack as Biden weighs response to Jordan assaultHeadline from NBC4 Washington · 21 outlets
  5. US retaliates after deadly drone attack on Jordan base that killed 3 service membersHeadline from ABC 13 Houston · 10 outlets
  6. Biden Says U.S. Response to Deadly Drone Strike in Jordan Has Been DecidedHeadline from New York Times · 54 outlets
  7. Biden’s balancing act with Iran aims for deterrence, not a wider warHeadline from CNN · 18 outlets
  8. What Is Tower 22, the Military Base that Was Attacked in Jordan Where 3 US Troops Were Killed?Headline from Military.com · 12 outlets
  9. US blames group of Iran-backed militias for deadly drone attack in Jordan as it weighs reprisalsHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 91 outlets
  10. Israel-Hamas war: Iran denies links to Jordan drone strike – DWHeadline from Deutsche Welle · 5 outlets
  11. US carries out airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in IraqHeadline from CNN · 5 outlets
  12. US conducts strikes on facilities in Iraq used by Iran-backed militia groupHeadline from FOX 29 Philadelphia · 19 outlets

December 2023

  1. US airstrikes hit Kataib Hezbollah sites in Iraq after attack on US troopsHeadline from Local News 8 · 14 outlets
  2. Biden Orders Strike on Iranian-Aligned Group After 3 US Troops Injured in Drone Attack in IraqHeadline from Military.com · 32 outlets
  3. Iraq scrambles to contain fighting between U.S troops, Iran-backed groups, fearing Gaza spilloverHeadline from Washington Times · 5 outlets
  4. A rocket attack targets the US Embassy in Baghdad, causing minor damage but no casualtiesHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 15 outlets

November 2023

  1. U.S. fighter aircraft strike Iraqi Hezbollah targets after attacks on basesHeadline from Washington Times · 6 outlets
  2. US strikes kill eight pro-Iran fighters in Iraq, angering BaghdadHeadline from Al-Monitor · 3 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →