US and Iran Exchange Air Strikes After Two Soldiers Killed in Jordan
The United States and Iran conducted retaliatory air strikes against each other over the weekend, escalating a conflict that has seen a series of attacks in the region. The latest exchanges follow a drone attack on a US base in Jordan that killed two American service members and left one missing.
US Central Command (Centcom) announced on Saturday that it had launched air strikes targeting Iranian coastal surveillance and air defence facilities. The strikes, conducted on the eighth consecutive night of US operations, were described as an effort to degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Centcom stated that the operations successfully hit Iranian military capabilities, while Iranian state media reported strikes on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Iran's army said it carried out drone attacks on two US bases in Kuwait, according to state media. The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported that Iran launched 'large-scale attacks with one-way attack drones' against a US military depot at Camp Udairi and another at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
The US strikes were also framed as punishment for the attack on a US base in Jordan, which Centcom attributed to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In a statement, Centcom confirmed that two US service members were killed and one remained missing after defending against an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack. The identities of the fallen were withheld pending notification of next of kin.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the deaths with a post on social media platform X, saying, 'Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve.' The US death toll in the conflict has now risen to 16, after an American Navy pilot who went missing earlier this month was declared dead.
The recent hostilities mark a breakdown of a preliminary ceasefire agreement reached between Washington and Tehran in June. That deal unraveled within weeks, with President Donald Trump declaring it 'over' on 8 July. The US had reimposed a blockade of Iranian ports, and Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, further disrupting global shipping routes.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil shipments, has been a flashpoint in the conflict. Both sides have accused each other of striking critical infrastructure, raising concerns of a broader regional war. As of now, no further statements have been issued by either side regarding potential de-escalation measures.
