U.S. military officials said on Monday that Iran was responsible for a drone attack last week on a U.S. military base in southern Syria.
While not launched from Iran, the five drones were Iranian and their use was facilitated by the hardline regime, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the Associated Press. The attack targeted the al-Tanf garrison, a joint U.S.-Syrian opposition military outpost. No one was injured or killed.
The drone attack comes as the Biden administration looks to renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal. The administration this week said the deal is at a "critical place" as tensions rise between the United States and Iran.
During a Monday press conference, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the drone strike was a "complex, coordinated, and deliberate attack" but did not provide further details. Neither did he comment on a possible military response to the strike.
"The protection and security of our troops overseas remains a paramount concern for the secretary," Kirby said. "If there is to be a response, it will be at a time and a place and a manner of our choosing, and we certainly won't get ahead of those kinds of decisions."
The al-Tanf garrison is used to train Syrian forces against Islamic State soldiers. The garrison lies on a road between Tehran and Israel that is traveled by Iran-backed forces.