Iran war: Two US service personnel killed in Jordan after missile and drone attack by Iran
Two US troops were killed in Jordan as they defended an attack by Iranian missiles yesterday, the US Central Command has said in a statement.
Another is missing and four other service members who were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals were later discharged, it added.
These are the first US deaths due to direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.
Jordan, which hosts US troops and aircraft, has been repeatedly targeted by Iran as it retaliates over a widening American airstrike campaign.
On July 17, two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks the statement said and added, one service member is currently missing in action,” CENTCOM said in a social media post.
The statement said:
On July 17, two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as US Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing.
Four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. They have since been discharged. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty.
Out of respect for the families, CENTCOM will withhold additional information, including the identities of the fallen warriors, until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified.
US strikes hit Iran for seventh consecutive night
The US military said it carried out the seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran since President Donald Trump declared their temporary ceasefire agreement "over".
US Central Command (Centcom) said its forces "hit surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities".
Iran said it responded by targeting US allies in the region including Kuwait, which said a power plant, water distillation plant and an oil facility had been hit.
On Saturday, Centcom said two US service members had been killed during Friday's attacks, and one was missing.
Friday's strikes marked a full week of renewed hostilities which also saw the US reimpose a blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran declare the Strait of Hormuz shut, as their preliminary deal to end the war faltered within a month of its signing.
They agreed to stop fighting in mid-June to enable talks for a permanent peace, but negotiations appeared to make little headway and Trump declared the deal over on 8 July.
Late on Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written statement that America's "repeated breaches" of the agreement had "laid bare a fundamental truth: the signature of the US president is utterly worthless and devoid of credibility".
Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since the attack which killed his father at the start of the war, said the "dark episode of criminality and broken promises" was evidence of American "dishonesty" and its "malicious nature".
It came after Kuwait's state news agency said an oil facility had suffered significant damage and reported injuries resulting from "repeated Iranian attacks".
Jordan's military also said it had intercepted 10 Iranian missiles fired into its airspace overnight, without reporting any damage, while Bahrain said its air defences had "thwarted" Iranian attacks.
The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council said the attacks on Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain were "a grave violation of international law" and accused Tehran of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in action constituting "war crimes".
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, who leads the council representing six states - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman - said the "dangerous escalation" required international accountability.
It came as Iran's Deputy Foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state media that Tehran had been "engaged in negotiations" but had suspended its obligations under the deal after the US "carried out these aggressive actions".
The ceasefire was largely observed, despite Iranian attacks on oil tankers to force them to comply with its demands that ships seek authorisation to cross the Strait of Hormuz - through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas ordinarily transits - followed by US strikes.
Centcom said its latest wave of strikes had ended after several hours at 21:30 ET on Friday (02:30 BST Saturday).
"US forces employed fighter aircraft, aerial drones, and warships in addition to other assets," it said in its statement.
Explosions were heard in the central city of Yazd and at Qeshm island and the port of Bandar Abbas next to the strait, Iranian state media reported.
BBC Persian has verified two videos showing damage and debris on and near the twin Shahid Mirzaei tunnels, a route running north of Bandar Abbas.
Local authorities also said an attack on electricity facilities and desalination pumps at a plant near Jask had left about 10,000 people in 20 villages without drinking water.
Meanwhile, more than 100 telecommunications masts were knocked out of service, disrupting landline, mobile and internet services in northern Hormozgan province.
The US military also denied a report in Iran's Fars news agency that two oil tankers "exploded and caught fire while passing through a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz". Centcom said: "Like most IRGC claims, this is false."
