The US military suffered its first combat fatalities since March in the Iran war, with the Pentagon saying two service members were killed and another was missing during defensive operations in Jordan, as hostilities ramped up in the region and further endangered a fragile cease-fire."On July 17, two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as US Central Command...and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing in action," CENTCOM said on X on July 18.Four others service members were injured and evacuated to Jordanian hospitals, CENTCOM added. Two of them have been discharged from the hospital, while several others were evaluated for minor injuries and returned to duty, it added.
The statement did not specify where in Jordan the attack occurred. Identification of the victims was not provided pending notification of family.The main site of US operations on the territory of the Middle East ally is the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, about 80 kilometers outside Amman. US forces also have operations at the Prince Hassan Air Base and at other Jordanian military facilities.The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that the strike occurred at the Muwaffaq Salti base, which US forces have used to launch air strikes against Iran.US President Donald Trump told the NewsNation network that the deaths were "very said. It's a very said thing."“We hate to see it happen. It’s in service to our country,” he said in a brief interview.US defense chief Pete Hegseth wrote on X: "Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."First Fatalities Since Renewed HostilitiesThe deaths would bring the total of known fatalities among US service members since the start of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 to 16, with all but one listed as combat deaths.Six service members were killed on March 1 when a drone hit a command center in Kuwait.On March 8, a US soldier was fatally injured during an attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.On March 12, six members of a refueling aircraft were killed when their plane crashed in western Iraq.A Navy pilot was also killed in what was described as a noncombat incident when a helicopter crashed in the Arabian Sea in early July.Iran Says MOU 'Suspended'The latest deaths come as Iranian officials said an interim agreement -- the so-called memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Washington and Tehran -- had been “suspended” after the recent wave of US strikes on Iran.“Unfortunately, the Americans have violated their obligations under the Islamabad declaration of intent through their aggressive measures," Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a televised interview, adding that Tehran was suspending implementation of its commitments.Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei made similar remarks, saying the MOU had “effectively been suspended.”
