The Iranian Foreign Ministry denied on Monday that the country was behind an attack that killed three American service members at a U.S. base in Jordan on Sunday.
On Monday, the Pentagon released the names of the three Army Reserve solders: Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Willingboro, New Jersey, Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga. and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Ga.
“Sergeant Rivers served with courage, honor, and a deep sense of duty, embodying the best of New Jersey and our nation. His death is a profound loss to his family, friends, colleagues, and our entire country, and a reminder of the heavy debt we owe to our military families for their sacrifice,” said U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.
Thirty-four American service members were also injured in the drone attack near the Syrian border, according to U.S. officials.
The U.S. was collecting information on Sunday, but officials “know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” President Joe Biden said Sunday.
Nasser Kanaani, an Iranian ministry spokesperson, on Monday said accusations that Iran was behind the attack amounted to a “repetition of baseless accusations.”
“The groups in the region do not take orders from Iran,” Kanaani said. “War is not a solution. An immediate cease-fire in Gaza can lead to the return of peace.”
Biden is weighing several options for a response to the strike, John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said on “Good Morning America” on Monday. He said it was clear to the U.S. that Iran has been supporting Houthi, Hezbollah and Hamas militants in the region.
“We’re not looking for a broader war in the region,” Kirby told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “We certainly aren’t looking for conflict with Iran.”
He added, “But make no mistake, Iran is supporting these groups. They’re resourcing them, training them, certainly not discouraging these attacks at all.”
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