The recent drone attack that hit U.S. forces stationed in Jordan on the border with the U.S.-controlled Tanf pocket in Syria and killed three personnel has prompted calls for major American retaliation either against militant groups backed by Iran or against Iran itself. A statement issued on the day of the attack by the 'Islamic Resistance in Iraq,' an umbrella front group that includes Kata'ib Hezbollah, included mention of targeting the U.S. presence in Tanf, and it must be inferred that this is referring to the attack that hit the Jordan-Syria border outpost. Contrary to what has been frequently asserted in commentary on the incident, this attack should not necessarily be seen as 'escalatory.' The fact that personnel were killed this time, and so close to the Jordan-Syria border, is really more a matter of luck for the 'resistance' axis.
In any event, it seems likely that Kata'ib Hezbollah had a role in the attack, but as noted previously, the group's involvement in operations against Americans poses a problem in that the Iraqi government still officially hosts American soldiers as part of combating the Islamic State, and yet Kata'ib Hezbollah has forces integrated into the Popular Mobilisation Commission, which is officially under the control of the Iraqi government.
Out of a supposed desire to avoid putting the Iraqi government in an embarrassing position, Kata'ib Hezbollah's secretary general has issued a statement announcing the suspension of operations against the Americans, while affirming that the group will pursue "other ways" to support the people of Gaza. Even so, it is possible that Kata'ib Hezbollah could be involved in creating a new front group that targets the Americans while denying involvement in that new front group, or the group could return to declaring operations against the Americans again.
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