When international agencies began reporting on the drone attack targeting the U.S. base Tower 22 at the northeastern tip of Jordan, near the border with Syria and Iraq, we all initially thought this was another attempt similar to previous ones. In recent times, U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq have been consistently targeted, but none of the attempts were successful.
As time passed, information from the region became clearer and, as it became clearer, it started to attract attention. This time, the attack could not be prevented. Moreover, according to initial assessments, three U.S. soldiers had died, which was not a familiar situation. When the White House officially announced that 32 soldiers were injured, with 6 in critical condition, Iran was the first country that came to mind.
Before long, all statements coming from the U.S. side were attributing the incident to militias affiliated with Iran, and President Biden was declaring, "We will respond without a doubt."
SETA Foreign Policy Researcher Can Acun, who closely monitors the region, assessed the recent attack and how it might impact the internal politics of the U.S., elections, the Middle East, and even Türkiye's position in the region.
Can Acun emphasized that the attack resulting in the death of U.S. soldiers could have different consequences under various headlines. He pointed out that the losses, particularly in the triangle of Iraq, Syria, and Jordan where U.S. soldiers are stationed, will further challenge Biden, who already appears weak both domestically and internationally.
He underscored that these losses might force President Biden to provide a "strong response," especially during the election process.
''The decision moment is approaching for the U.S... Either they will significantly increase their presence and stay, or they will withdraw the remaining elements from Iraq and Syria. This situation is also under discussion within the U.S., and there seem to be serious differences, as far as I understand. The recent attack and losses will reinforce these debates." said Acun.
All statements made after the attack pointed to Iran. Some U.S. senators even suggested directly hitting Tehran on their personal social media accounts.
"From Iran's perspective, it is conducting a proxy war with the asymmetric power elements it has designed," Acun stated. He explained that Iran, with structures defined as the resistance axis, opposes Israel while its main goal is to remove the U.S. from Iraq and Syria in the context of its own geopolitical interests.
According to Acun, Iran is playing a risky game to achieve this and is creating a significant cost for the U.S. military presence by constantly targeting U.S. bases.
"Türkiye closely monitors the withdrawal of the U.S. from Syria. Ankara does not desire a power vacuum to be filled by other destabilizing forces. Additionally, during this process, it will also focus on conducting comprehensive operations against the PKK. In conclusion, the territorial integrity and political/economic stability of southern neighbors are national security issues for Türkiye." Acun said.
