WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say Iran was behind the kamikaze drone strikes against U.S. forces in Syria last week. Here are the details: <br /> <br /> <br />The Associated Press reports that U.S. officials said on Monday, October 25 that they believe Iran was behind the drone attack on the al-Tanf military outpost in Syria where U.S. troops are based. <br /> <br /> <br />The drone attack happened on Wednesday, October 20, and U.S. officials say the drones were Iranian and Iran appears to have facilitated their use. <br /> <br /> <br />Officials said they believe the attacks involved as many as five kamikaze drones laden with explosive charges, and that they hit both the U.S. side of al-Tanf garrison and the side where Syrian opposition forces stay. <br /> <br /> <br />The proliferation of these crude kamikaze drones is part of Iran’s regional strategy. <br /> <br /> <br />The country supports proxies, such as the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with weapons platforms, says David Schenker, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. <br /> <br /> <br />Often, drones are shipped in parts from Iran and assembled in Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. <br /> <br /> <br />There were no reported injuries or deaths as a result of the attack. <br /> <br /> <br />U.S. and coalition troops are based at al-Tanf to train Syrian forces on patrols to counter Islamic State militants. The base is located on a road that serves as a vital link for Iranian-backed forces from Tehran all the way to southern Lebanon and Israel. <br /> <br /> <br />
