- Two US service members were killed in Jordan defending against Iranian missile and drone attacks
- One US service member is reported missing after the attacks on July 17
- CENTCOM will withhold the identities of the soldiers until relatives are notified
Two American service members were killed in Jordan on Friday while defending against a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday. This raises the total count of US service members killed since the war began to 16, while over 430 have been wounded.
In its statement, the Pentagon said that on July 17, two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as CENTCOM and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. It added that a service member is currently missing.
CENTCOM Statement on Recently Fallen, Missing U.S. Service Members
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 18, 2026
TAMPA, Fla. — 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,…
According to the statement, four American service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan. All four have since been discharged. Other personnel who were assessed for minor injuries have already returned to duty.
CENTCOM said it would not release further details, including the identities of the service members who died, until 24 hours after their relatives have been formally notified.
The US military's statement came as Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a fresh warning, saying the US would face "unforgettable lessons" if it continued its attacks on Iran.
In a statement posted on X, he said that the Iranian nation and the axis of resistance had unforgettable lessons to offer the "American enemy" now that it sought to incite war and bear its consequences.
Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since the war began, also dismissed a deal bearing US President Donald Trump's signature as "worthless and invalid".
The latest developments have pushed prospects of a diplomatic resolution further out of reach. The US military said earlier on Saturday that it had struck surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage and maritime capabilities in Iran, marking the seventh consecutive night of strikes.
Tehran retaliated by targeting US military sites in Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The most significant damage from Iran's strikes on Saturday was reported in Kuwait, where a water desalination plant and an oil facility were both hit.
