Two US troops killed in Iranian attack in Jordan
US Central Command said four other service members were medically evacuated and one remains missing after missile and drone attacks in Jordan.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Two US service members were killed in Jordan during an Iranian missile and drone attack, US Central Command said Saturday. The deaths mark the first US-confirmed casualties from the latest Iranian strikes on American forces, according to Al Jazeera.
CENTCOM, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said the attack took place Friday as US and partner forces responded to Iranian ballistic missile and drone fire. The command said one US service member remains missing.
Four American service members were flown to Jordanian hospitals for treatment, CENTCOM said. They have since been discharged, while other personnel assessed for minor wounds have returned to duty, according to the command.
CENTCOM said it would not release the names of the dead until 24 hours after their families are notified. The command described the two deaths as service members “killed in action” and said the missing service member is listed as “missing in action.”
Attacks resume after pause breaks down
Al Jazeera reported that the casualties followed the collapse of a memorandum of understanding that had temporarily halted fighting involving the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. The renewed exchanges have raised concern among observers who warned that civilians across the region would bear the cost of another round of war, according to Al Jazeera.
The fighting has included attacks on infrastructure, Al Jazeera reported. The United States has hit Iranian civilian sites including bridges and desalination plants, while Iranian forces have reportedly struck energy facilities and desalination plants in Gulf states that host US troops.
Desalination plants are a key source of water in Gulf countries, according to Al Jazeera. Legal experts cited by Al Jazeera have said attacks by both sides on such facilities violate international law.
Gulf states condemn Iranian strikes
The head of the Gulf Cooperation Council condemned recent Iranian attacks on Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, according to Al Jazeera. He called the strikes a “war crime” and a “highly dangerous escalation,” saying they included attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released video footage on July 16 showing a missile launch from an undisclosed site toward US targets in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, according to a caption carried by AFP and cited by Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera reported that neither side has shown signs of backing away from the renewed conflict. Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei criticized US attacks in a statement Saturday, saying they showed US President Donald Trump’s signature was “worthless and invalid.”
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.