Two military service members are dead and one is missing after an Iranian attack in Jordan on Friday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Saturday.
The troops were killed in action while defending against ballistic missile and drone attacks, the statement said. Four other service members were transported to Jordanian hospitals and have since been discharged.
The statement did not disclose the identity of the deceased service members, pending notification of their next of kin.
Saturday’s announcement marks the first time that American service members have died in the Iran war since a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran seemingly collapsed this month after reciprocal violence in the Strait of Hormuz. At least 16 soldiers have died and more than 400 have been wounded since the military conflict began in late February.
Trending
The U.S. military’s announcement came shortly after Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement to Iranian state media on Saturday, saying President Donald Trump’s signature on peace deals was “worthless and unreliable.”
Khamenei said Iran and an informal group of regional allies, or the “Axis of Resistance,” have “unforgettable lessons in store” for the U.S.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a statement shared by the country’s state media on Saturday that since the U.S. has “suspended” its commitment to the ceasefire deal, Iran has “likewise suspended all our own commitments.”
On Saturday afternoon, the State Department urged Americans in the Middle East to “exercise increased caution” and monitor the news for breaking developments, including the “potential for unforeseen escalation.” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), who serves on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said in an afternoon X post that events in the region appeared to be “getting very dark very quickly.”
“Trump has frighteningly lost control of this war,” Murphy wrote.
U.S. military forces completed seven nights of consecutive and widening strikes on Friday, aimed at Iranian “surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage and maritime capabilities,” U.S. Central Command said.
The Trump administration renewed military operations after disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway critical to the global energy market. The U.S. resumed a naval blockade of the strait on July 14 after Iran indicated it was closed “until further notice,” with Trump announcing the U.S. would be known as the waterway’s “guardian” earlier this week.
Author
