Two U.S. troops killed in Iran missile attack on Jordan
Two U.S. service members were killed and one is missing after Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks struck Jordan on July 17, U.S. Central Command said. The fatalities are the first American combat deaths in the Iran war since March, as a fragile ceasefire collapsed and fighting widened.
Key Takeaways
- CENTCOM said two U.S. service members were killed in action in Jordan on July 17 while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks; one service member is missing.
- Four other Americans were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan and later discharged; personnel with minor injuries have returned to duty.
- The deaths raise the U.S. military death toll in the nearly five-month conflict to 15, the first fatalities since March.
- Identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin are notified.
What happened to U.S. forces in Jordan?
On Saturday, U.S. Central Command announced that two American service members in Jordan were killed in action on July 17. CENTCOM said U.S. and partner forces were defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks when the casualties occurred.
NBC News reported that CENTCOM did not specify where in Jordan the attack took place or give further details on the circumstances. One service member remains missing in action, according to the military’s statement.
Four additional American service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan but have since been discharged, CENTCOM said. Other personnel who sustained minor injuries have returned to duty.
How many Americans have died in the Iran war?
CNN reported that the latest deaths bring the number of U.S. service members who have died in the nearly five-month conflict to 15. These are the first American military fatalities in the Iran war since March.
Earlier in the conflict, six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers were killed March 1 by a direct Iranian strike on a makeshift operations center at Kuwait’s Shuaiba port. Days later, an Army sergeant died after sustaining injuries during an attack in Saudi Arabia.
The last U.S. fatalities before this week were on March 12, when six service members were killed when a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq. That incident was “not due to hostile or friendly fire,” according to reporting cited by CNN.
Why does this Jordan attack matter now?
The casualties come as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States has all but collapsed this week, with both sides exchanging fire. CNN reported that deadly U.S. strikes have been followed by waves of Iranian drones and missiles, hitting a widening number of targets in countries that host U.S. bases.
Earlier Saturday, Iranian officials said 12 Iranians were killed over the last day, bringing the country’s death total in the war’s latest phase to 50. A deputy governor in Iran’s Hormozgan province said a water desalinization plant had been destroyed in a U.S. missile attack; the U.S. military had not responded to that claim at the time of reporting.
What is still unknown about the missing service member?
CENTCOM has confirmed one service member is missing in action but has not released a name, unit, or location details beyond Jordan. The military said it will withhold the identities of the fallen until 24 hours after their next of kin are notified. CNN said it had reached out to the White House for comment on the fatalities.
As more details emerge about the attack and the search for the missing service member, follow ongoing coverage in our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries section for updates on unresolved cases and developing investigations.