UK’s Sunak urges Iran to de-escalate tensions after Jordan drone attack; strike on IRGC location in Syria kills many

As the United States of America increased reconnaissance along the Iraq-Syria border in the wake of the strike in Jordan that killed three US soldier and injured scores others stoking fears of an imminent US strike, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged Iran to de-escalate tensions in West Asia. Since America has blamed Iran-backed terror groups for the Jordan strike—Iran has maintained its innocence in the matter—Sunak said he was concerned about tensions in West Asia. Sunak said Britain “absolutely condemned” the drone attacks which U.S. President Joe Biden said had been carried out by Iran-backed militants. “We are concerned and would urge Iran to continue to de-escalate tensions in the region,” Sunak told broadcasters on Monday. “We stand resolutely with our allies to bring stability and peace to the region and that’s what we continue to work towards.” The attack, which also wounded 34 U.S. service personnel, is the first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October, and marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East. Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Monday that Tehran was not involved in the attack. Meanwhile, Iran-backed groups along the Syria-Iraq border had started evacuating their posts in anticipation of a US strike. Moreover, reports suggested that terror leaders had started avoiding making calls on phones for fear of being tracked and eliminated. A report in the Times of Israel also quoted officials of the Islamic Resistance as saying that the Jordan strike had been carried out by an Iraq faction of Iran-backed groups. On the other hand, two were killed and several injured in an aerial strike on a location associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps near the Sayyeda Zeinab shrine complex on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus. So far there has been no comments from the Syrian or Israeli sides. (with inputs from Reuters)