{"id":1415,"date":"2026-07-19T19:15:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T19:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/?p=1415"},"modified":"2026-07-19T19:15:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T19:15:11","slug":"two-american-service-members-killed-in-deadliest-iranian-attack-since-spring-as-tensions-over-strait-of-hormuz-boil-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/?p=1415","title":{"rendered":"Two American service members killed in deadliest Iranian attack since spring as tensions over Strait of Hormuz boil over"},"content":{"rendered":"

Iran killed two US service members defending against a\u00a0wave of Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks\u00a0in Jordan on Friday \u2014 with a third member MIA, US Central Command announced Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn 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,\u201d the combatant command said in a statement.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAdditionally, one service member is currently missing in action.\u201d<\/p>\n

The White House had yet to comment on the deaths as of 3 p.m. \u2014 nearly two hours after the CENTCOM announcement.<\/p>\n

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\"A3<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>
A missile launched by Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards towards an American target from an undisclosed location seen in footage released on July 17, 2026.SEPAHNEWS.COM\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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It marks the first fatalities to US military\u00a0personnel since President Trump\u00a0ended the cease-fire with Iran last week.<\/p>\n

Four additional US troops were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan following the Friday attack but have since been\u00a0 released.<\/p>\n

Other personnel who suffered minor injuries have already returned to duty, the military said.<\/p>\n

The latest barrage involved both ballistic missiles and attack drones\u00a0aimed at American and partner forces stationed in Jordan.<\/p>\n

An investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted to X that their deaths will not deter the US military.<\/p>\n

\u201cGodspeed, heroes,\u201d he wrote. \u201cTheir sacrifice only stiffens our resolve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several House Democrats, however, exploited the tragedy to call for an end to the war.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe owe our servicemembers and their families a debt that can never be fully repaid, but we must begin by preventing future loss of life and bringing this war to an end,\u201d Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.) posted to X.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the cost of President Trump\u2019s needless war,\u201d wrote Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.)<\/p>\n

\u201cThis country owes a debt that can never be repaid, but we can prevent more tragic loss of life,\u201d Rep. Herb Conaway (D-N.J.) posted to X.<\/p>\n

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A drone being launched by Iran seen in a video released on July 14, 2026.via REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI demand that Trump end this war that he started and Republicans in Congress do the same. Enough is enough.\u201d
\nRepublicans, meanwhile, called for prayers and put the Iranian regime on notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe honor their sacrifice, stand with our troops, and remain committed to holding those responsible accountable,\u201d Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) wrote.<\/p>\n

US forces have faced repeated attacks by Iran and its proxy groups across the Middle East in recent days.<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s attack marks the deadliest day for US forces in the Middle East since March, underscoring the escalating threat posed by Tehran as tensions continue to boil across the region.<\/p>\n

It brings the total US troops killed in the Iran war to 16.<\/p>\n

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\"Missile3<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>
A missile being launched by Iran seen in a video released on July 16, 2026.SEPAHNEWS.COM\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CENTCOM did not disclose where in Jordan the attack occurred or provide details about how the service members were killed, saying it was withholding further information out of respect for the families.<\/p>\n

Jordan\u2019s armed forces said they had intercepted a number of missiles and drones that entered the kingdom\u2019s airspace, adding that the military acted to protect the country\u2019s sovereignty and the safety of its citizens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Iran killed two US service members defending against a\u00a0wave of Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks\u00a0in Jordan on Friday \u2014 with a third member MIA, US Central Command announced Saturday. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1416,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1415"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1417,"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415\/revisions\/1417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchthenews.store\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}