Two US service members killed and a third missing as Iran launches missile and drone strikes

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:32, 18 July 2026 | Updated: 18:58, 18 July 2026 Two US servicemembers have been killed in Jordan after their military base was struck by an Iranian attack, US Central Command announced.  The attack came overnight Friday at the base involved Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, with at least one servicemember also missing in action.  Four other American soldiers were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals in the attack, who have since been discharged, CENTCOM said in an X post. 'Out of respect for the families, CENTCOM will withhold additional information, including the identities of the fallen warriors, until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified,' the agency said.  The deaths were the 15th and 16th among US servicemembers since the war with Iran began in February, with over 430 others wounded.  The attacks from Iran came amid a fresh blitz across the Middle East in recent days, after negotiations with the Trump administration broke down and a ceasefire ended.  Friday marked the seventh straight night of strikes launched by the US against Iran, with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards retaliating with tit-for-tat attacks at US targets in Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Syria.  Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said this week that the US strikes on Iran would lead to 'unforgettable lessons' for the US, accusing President Trump of 'seeking to escalate the conflict.' Two US servicemembers have been killed in Jordan after their military base was struck by an Iranian attack on July 17. Pictured: An Iranian ballistic missile fired on July 16 from an undisclosed location towards US targets in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in February, issued the chilling threat through state TV.  The Iranian leader said Trump's signature is now 'worthless and invalid', after a tentative ceasefire agreement reached in April - and formally agreed upon last month - dramatically fell apart in recent days. The remarks came hours after a negotiator said Tehran was suspending all of its commitments that were previously agreed upon with the US in June. Khamenei also vowed to use Iran's proxies in the Middle East, which he dubbed the 'Axis of Resistance', to combat Trump's attacks.