Key facts
- Two US service members were killed and one is missing in action in Jordan due to Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the deaths "stiffen our resolve."
- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attack.
- The fatalities bring the total US service member deaths in the conflict to 16.
- President Donald Trump described the deaths as "a very sad thing."
Two US service members were killed and one is missing in action in Jordan following Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on July 17, US Central Command announced Saturday. Four additional American service members were medically evacuated but have since been discharged, with others sustaining minor injuries.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the sacrifice of the fallen service members "stiffens our resolve," while President Donald Trump described the deaths as "a very sad thing."
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the strikes on a base in Al-Azraq, Jordan, stating they "completely destroy[ed]" several aircraft. These fatalities mark the first American military deaths from Iranian fire since March, bringing the total number of US service members killed in the nearly five-month conflict to 16.
The latest casualties occur amid a fragile ceasefire that has largely collapsed, with both the US and Iran exchanging fire. US strikes have reportedly shifted further into Iran's interior, cutting water to villages, while Iran has also reported casualties and destruction of infrastructure, claiming 12 Iranians were killed in the last day.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated that President Trump's signature on agreements is "worthless and invalid," accusing the United States of "repeated breaches of agreements."