Key facts
- US forces conducted an eighth consecutive night of air strikes against Iran.
- The strikes targeted military facilities and Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) forces.
- These actions are in retaliation for an Iranian missile and drone attack on a base in Jordan.
- Two US service members were killed and one was missing following the attack in Jordan.
- Iran's IRGC claimed responsibility for the attack on the base in Jordan.
The U.S. military conducted its eighth consecutive night of air strikes against Iran, specifically targeting military facilities and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This escalation follows an Iranian missile and drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan, which resulted in the deaths of two American service members and left one missing.
According to U.S. Central Command, two service members were killed and one was reported missing as a result of the Iranian attack. The article also noted that injured U.S. service members were discharged and returned to duty. Iran's IRGC had claimed responsibility for the attack on the base in Jordan, alleging the destruction of fighter jets.
President Donald Trump directed U.S. forces to retaliate against Iran. The strikes represent the first time the U.S. military has directly targeted the Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for the troop deaths in Jordan. Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated that repeated breaches of agreements with Iran show the US president's signature is "worthless and invalid".
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the sacrifice of the fallen service members "only stiffens our resolve". A top Iranian military commander, Major-General Ali Abdullahi, warned that "any aggression or barbarism will be met with a decisive and devastating response" from the country’s armed forces. An American strike hit a location on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Sunday morning. Kuwait’s Ali Al-Salem base and Camp Udairi came under attack by Iranian army’s kamikaze drones during the 16th phase of Operation Sa'eqeh (Thunderbolt). Separately, a family of five was among 11 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza on Saturday. The US State Department has warned Americans worldwide to exercise increased caution due to "heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation".