Two American service members were killed and another remains missing following an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack in Jordan on Friday, according to US Central Command (Centcom). While four other personnel were medically evacuated to local hospitals, they have since been discharged, and others with minor injuries have returned to duty.
In response to the assault, the US military launched a series of air strikes against Iran on Saturday night under the direction of President Donald Trump. Centcom stated that these operations were intended to punish the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and reduce Iran's capacity to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC claimed to have destroyed two US fighter aircraft at Jordan's Al-Azraq base, though Centcom declined to comment on that specific report.
The incident occurs amid a collapse of a preliminary ceasefire established in June, with hostilities intensifying as the US reimposes a blockade on Iranian ports and Tehran declares the Strait of Hormuz closed. Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei criticized the US for the breakdown in diplomacy, accusing Washington of escalating the conflict. Meanwhile, the US Department of State has issued a global travel notice, advising citizens to exercise increased caution due to the volatile security environment in the Middle East.
The death toll for US forces in the ongoing conflict has reached 16. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the latest casualties on social media, stating, "Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."
Source: BBC News
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