The Iranian Attack Against the US Base in Al-Tanf – New Message to American Forces

On October 20^th, the US army base in al-Tanf (which is in southeast Syria, on the Jordan-Iraq border) was attacked for the first time by Iran.

The type of weapon used was suicide UAVs, likely “Shahed”. According to social media reports, rockets were fired as well. There were no casualties in the attack. The US announced yesterday that Iran is responsible for the attack, yet the executors were probably Shiite Iraqi militias deployed by the Quds Force.

To our assessment, this attack may be a retaliation for the October 8^th and 13^th aerial attacks against the radical Shiite Axis in the Palmyra area in Syria. The attacks, made from the al-Tanf area, were attributed to Israel.

Iran’s purpose was to send a new message: “An Israeli attack on Shiite Axis targets with US assistance will result in Shiite Axis retaliation against American forces.”

The Iranians believe that the more they will bombard the Al-Tanf base, the quicker the United States will withdraw, leaving the southernmost route to Golan and Lebanon wide open. And this is the most important route on the ground corridor between Tehran to Beirut. If the US troops will withdraw from this area – the Iranians will be able to transfer weapons and combatants on the shortest way from Iran to Syria and Lebanon easily and quickly, giving it another opportunity to create more influence and military involvement in the region and strengthen its newly created front against Israel from Syria.