Two United States service members have been killed and another declared missing following an Iranian missile and drone attack on a military installation in Jordan, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Saturday.
The incident marks the first American military fatalities attributed to Iranian fire since March, amid renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
In a statement posted on social media, CENTCOM said the attack occurred on July 17 as US and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone strikes.
“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. Additionally, one service member is currently missing in action,” the statement read.
CENTCOM also disclosed that four other American service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan but have since been treated and discharged. Several others sustained minor injuries and have returned to duty.
The military said the identities of the two fallen service members would not be released until at least 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth paid tribute to the deceased personnel in a post on X, writing: “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve.”
Earlier on Saturday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted a military base used by US forces in Al-Azraq, Jordan.
The IRGC alleged that the operation, carried out with missiles and drones, destroyed several aircraft at the base, although the claim has not been independently verified.
The latest deaths bring the number of US service members killed since the conflict escalated nearly five months ago to 16, according to the US military’s Defence Casualty Analysis System.
Among the earlier casualties were six US Army Reserve soldiers killed on March 1 in a direct Iranian strike on a makeshift operations centre at Kuwait’s Shuaiba Port. An Army sergeant later died from injuries sustained during a separate attack in Saudi Arabia.
On March 12, six additional service members were killed when a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq. The military said the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.
The US Navy also suspended its search on July 5 for a service member who went missing after a military helicopter crashed into the Arabian Sea, noting there was no evidence the incident resulted from enemy action.
The latest attack comes as a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appears to have broken down, with both sides exchanging strikes in recent days.
According to a report by CNN, Iranian authorities said on Saturday that 12 people were killed across the country within the last 24 hours, raising the death toll from the latest phase of the conflict to 50.
Officials in Iran’s Hormozgan Province also accused the United States of destroying a water desalination plant in a missile strike. The US military had not responded to the allegation as of the time of filing this report.
