Three American service members were killed and dozens injured Sunday in a drone attack by Iran-backed militias on a U.S. military outpost in Jordan near the Syrian and Iraqi borders, the Biden administration said Sunday.

In a short statement, the United States Central Command confirmed that at least 34 service members were injured in what was described as a “one-way attack” by a drone on the base in eastern Jordan. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until their next of kin are notified.

President Biden, in a statement, called the incident a “despicable and wholly unjust attack” by what were described as “radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”

“We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism,” Mr. Biden said of the service members who died. “And have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.”

Iran hawks in Washington are calling on the Biden administration to hit the Islamic Republic, which Mr. Biden has so far declined to do. It is time to “strike targets of significance inside Iran,” said Senator Graham of South Carolina. “Hit them hard,” he said, adding, that the administration’s “efforts to deter aggression against our forces in the region has failed miserably. If they do not change their policies now, more American service members in the region will pay the price.”

The chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, said now is the time for a “reset” of American policy toward the Iranian regime.

“Iran’s proxies have launched over 150 attacks on US troops since October, as the Iran-backed Houthis attack global shipping, and Iran-backed Hezbollah and Hamas attack our ally Israel,” he said in a statement Sunday. “The Biden administration’s failed Middle East policy has destroyed our deterrence against adversaries in the Middle East. We need a major reset of our Middle East policy to protect our national security interests and restore deterrence.”

The deaths mark the first American deaths on the ground in the Middle East since the start of the war against Hamas in Israel and marks a significant escalation of the conflict in the region.

Earlier, two American SEAL commandos died when they drowned trying to intercept a vessel originating in Iran that was carrying munitions for the Houthi rebels in Yemen who have been targeting international shipping in the region.