Days after the attack, officials from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, reported on Monday that the United States suspects Iran supplied equipment and planned the attack that targeted the international coalition base in Tanf, Syria, last week. The officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the attack was executed by "Iranian drones" but did not launch from Iran, indicating that Tehran facilitated "the execution of the attack." They estimated that five explosive-laden drones struck the area housing U.S. forces and Syrian opposition fighters at the Tanf military base.
**Complex Attack**
It is noted that on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, the Tanf base in Syria, which houses coalition forces led by the United States, was attacked with drones. There were no reports of casualties or injuries from the attack, while U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that there were no human casualties among U.S. forces. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby declined to provide any details when questioned about the Associated Press report during a press conference on Monday, stating only that it was a complex, coordinated, and deliberate attack, pointing out that the United States has witnessed similar attacks from Iranian-backed Shiite militias.
**No Timeline for U.S. Response**
Kirby also refrained from providing any further updates or information regarding the type of munitions used in the attack. Additionally, the spokesman did not disclose whether U.S. forces received prior warning about the attack on Tanf, nor did he specify a timeline for any potential U.S. response. It is worth mentioning that the base, established in 2016, is a crucial part of the war against ISIS, where U.S. and coalition forces are stationed to train local Syrian opposition forces, and is located in the Homs Governorate on the Iraqi-Jordanian border.
