Two US soldiers killed in Iranian missile attack on Jordan base
Two US soldiers were killed and others injured following an Iranian missile and drone strike on a military base in Jordan. This escalation follows a week of reciprocal military actions between the US and Iran, with Iran targeting civilian infrastructure in neighboring countries.
Why it matters
The death of US service members and the targeting of civilian infrastructure represent a significant escalation in the conflict, increasing the risk of a broader regional war.
A fireball over the town of Mangaf, south of Kuwait City. Kuwait was one of several neighbours targeted by Iran overnight - attacks which killed two US soldiers in Jordan. Photo / AFP
Two United States soldiers were killed in an Iranian missile and drone strike on a military base in Jordan.
One other service member is missing and several more were injured, the US Central Command (Centcom) announced on Saturday local time, after Iran launched its latest barrages across the Gulf in retaliation for consecutive nights of US attacks.
The US military did not release the troops’ identities. It said they were killed defending against the attack – the first American deaths due to direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.
It brings the total number of US military deaths to 16 since the war began in late February.
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