Two U.S. service members killed in Iranian attack in Jordan as U.S. launches retaliatory strikes
Two U.S. service members were killed in an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack on American forces in Jordan, prompting President Trump to order retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian military targets.
Editor's Note: This is a developing story.
Two U.S. service members were killed and another remains missing after an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack on American and partner forces in Jordan, the U.S. military said, prompting a new round of U.S. airstrikes against Iranian military targets.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the service members were killed while defending against the attack on July 17. The military did not identify the location of the strike within Jordan or release the names of the service members, saying it would wait until at least 24 hours after their families had been notified.
On July 20, the Pentagon identified the soldiers killed in action from Iranian attacks in Jordan as 19-year-old Pvt. Isabella Gonzales and 25-year-old 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan.
Four other U.S. service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan and later discharged, while other personnel treated for minor injuries returned to duty, CENTCOM said.
President Donald Trump ordered retaliatory airstrikes on July 18 that targeted Iranian military surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime assets, and missile and drone storage sites, according to CENTCOM.
The military said the strikes were intended both to retaliate for the deaths of the U.S. service members and to reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM later said U.S. forces had completed an eighth consecutive night of strikes against Iranian targets, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, forces believed to have been involved in the Jordan attack.
The exchange marked another escalation after the collapse of an interim ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. The two countries have traded daily strikes over the past week, with Iran launching missiles and drones at U.S. military positions and American allies in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, while U.S. forces have repeatedly targeted Iranian military infrastructure.
Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian forces launched what it described as "massive drone attacks" against key U.S. military sites in Kuwait. Kuwait's military said its air defenses intercepted hostile missiles and drones, while the country's electricity ministry said attacks had struck a power and water desalination plant for the second time in two days, causing a fire.
Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, said its air defenses intercepted an Iranian attack. The country's Interior Ministry urged residents to seek shelter in safe locations.
Jordan's military said it intercepted three Iranian missiles headed toward the kingdom.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said July 19 it was investigating reports of an overnight attack at the construction site of Iran's planned Darkhovin nuclear power plant.
Iran's IGRC also claimed at least two U.S. fighter jets were destroyed during the attack on Jordan, according to Tasnim. The claim could not be independently verified, and U.S. officials have not confirmed any aircraft losses.
