Iranian attack in Jordan kills 2 US service members, another dies in Iraq

U.S. Central Command may have discovered the remains of a service member who was reported missing on Friday after an Iranian attack on a Jordan air base killed two troops and left another four wounded.

In a statement Sunday, CENTCOM said that it had found unidentified remains near the site of the July 17 attack. An examination process to verify identity is ongoing, the command added.

Separately, another U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action on Saturday during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone, CENTCOM said. A second service member was wounded and is receiving medical treatment for a minor injury.

The command is withholding the identities of the fallen service members while it notifies families.

The recent attacks mark the first hostile U.S. deaths since March and bring the total number of troops killed in the war with Iran to at least 17. President Donald Trump has vowed in recent weeks to ramp up strikes against over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded with its own barrage of missile and drone attacks on U.S. forces in neighboring countries.

Trump, speaking to NewsNation on Saturday, described the deaths as a “very sad thing.” 

“We hate to see it happen. It’s in service to our country,” he said. 

The U.S. completed an eighth consecutive night of attacks early Sunday morning following the deaths, CENTCOM said in a statement, striking coastal surveillance, air defenses, and missile and drone storage sites. 

They also targeted members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that launched the attacks that killed the two service members in Jordan. 

“Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X.

Tehran has also targeted Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in the last week, though CENTCOM has not confirmed any U.S. deaths or injuries in those countries. 

Both Kuwait and Bahrain were working to intercept more Iranian strikes as of Sunday morning. 

CENTCOM said the deaths in Jordan occurred as U.S. and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks but provided no additional details. The military said it will withhold the names of the deceased until at least 24 hours after their families have been notified. 

The deaths occurred at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, the New York Times reported, citing U.S. officials. Jordan has gained strategic importance for the U.S. during the war with Iran, serving as a hub for air assets. 

The base was hit twice last week, the Times reported. The first strike wounded about 20 troops. The second, on Friday, killed two and injured four more. 

A video circulating on social media appeared to show the moment missiles struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, though it’s not clear if it was the same strike that killed the service members.

The strikes suggested that Iran has adapted to U.S. air defenses. The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported that Tehran is now firing missiles that can travel at extremely high speeds and maneuver as they approach the earth. 

According to Pentagon data, at least 427 U.S. service members have been injured during Operation Epic Fury, which started in late February when the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran. 

In addition to the two killed in Jordan, the Pentagon has confirmed 14 service members’ deaths as part of the operation. 

Six soldiers were killed in early March when an Iranian drone struck an Army outpost in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Another soldier died from injuries sustained from an attack in Saudi Arabia. 

Six airmen were killed the same month when a KC-135 refueling aircraft went down over Iraq. The Pentagon has said the crash was not due to hostile or friendly fire. 

The Navy earlier this month suspended its search for a sailor who went missing after a MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter went down in the Arabian Sea. 

The U.S. and Iran have engaged in a week of heightened hostilities after the breakdown of a ceasefire reached last month. 

A surveillance tower at Chabar Port, Iran, appears to collapse following repeated attacks by U.S. forces in this image shared to X by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Pete Hegseth/X)

On Friday, Iran said the U.S. struck bridges, a railway junction and a surveillance tower in southeast Iran.

Iran has also targeted military bases and critical infrastructure in Persian Gulf countries hosting U.S. forces. That includes Kuwait, which saw a power plant and water desalination station struck Friday, officials said.

The escalation has once again put the region on edge and raised concerns about how the conflict could affect the region and the global shipping markets. 

Iranian attacks on commercial ships prompted the U.S. to reinstate its naval blockade early last week, causing a spike in oil prices as traffic in the strait slowed to a near standstill. 

The State Department on Saturday issued a travel advisory to Americans around the globe, telling them to “exercise increased caution” due to the war with Iran.