U.S. strikes Iran after attack kills two American troops in Jordan
Central Command said the strikes followed Iranian missile and drone attacks that killed two U.S. service members and left another missing.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
The U.S. military launched new airstrikes against Iran on Saturday evening after an attack in Jordan killed two American service members and left a third missing, U.S. Central Command said. The strikes mark another escalation in a war that has widened around the Strait of Hormuz.
Central Command said President Trump ordered the latest strikes in response to Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on Friday. The command said the operation was aimed at reducing Iran’s ability to threaten commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and at striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces it said carried out the Jordan attack.
Four other U.S. service members were medically evacuated after the attacks in Jordan, according to the U.S. military. Central Command said earlier Saturday that those troops had been treated at Jordanian hospitals and released.
Central Command said it would not release the names of the two service members who died until 24 hours after their families were notified. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the fallen troops “heroes” in a social media post Saturday and said their deaths would strengthen U.S. resolve.
Iran says it hit a base used by coalition forces
Iran’s military said it struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, an installation used by Jordanian forces and U.S. coalition troops. U.S. Central Command described the attack as part of a broader wave of Iranian missile and drone strikes.
Central Command said the two U.S. service members were killed while partner forces defended against Iranian attacks. Jordan’s state media said the country held off hostile attacks on Friday.
The fighting has spread beyond Jordan. Authorities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar said Friday that their air defense systems were intercepting hostile attacks. Qatar has been a mediator in talks aimed at ending the war, according to NPR.
Iranian strikes were also reported in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, where at least eight opposition fighters were killed, according to a Kurdish Iranian opposition group cited by NPR.
Strait of Hormuz remains central to the conflict
U.S. Central Command said Friday that American forces had completed seven planned nights of strikes on Iranian targets. The command said those strikes hit underground weapons storage facilities and surveillance sites.
Since the war with Iran began, 16 U.S. service members have been killed and more than 430 wounded, according to NPR. The latest U.S. and Iranian attacks have broadened the list of targets and increased concern over a larger war centered on control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has closed the strait, according to NPR. The U.S. military said it has reinstated a naval blockade of Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamene warned Saturday that the United States would face “unforgettable lessons” if it continued attacking Iran, according to remarks read on Iranian state television and attributed to him. The remarks also said Trump’s signature on a memorandum of understanding was “worthless and invalid.”
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.