The United States on Monday (July 20) has identified two American soldiers killed in Jordan during Iranian missile and drone attacks, as Washington and Tehran edge closer to all-out war following the collapse of their interim ceasefire agreement.
The Pentagon said 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, were killed while supporting a US mission against the Islamic State in Jordan. The exact circumstances of their deaths have not been disclosed.
US Central Command said on Saturday (July 18) that two service members were killed while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth paid tribute to the fallen troops, writing on X: “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve.”
US-Iran conflict intensifies
The latest fatalities underscore the widening scope of the conflict after an interim ceasefire signed last month broke down. Since then, the United States has resumed strikes on Iranian military and infrastructure targets, while Tehran has retaliated with attacks on US assets and allied countries across the Middle East.
Iran launched strikes targeting Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other US partners after American forces attacked bridges, power facilities and other infrastructure inside Iran.
In a statement carried by Iranian state media, supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei accused Washington of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement and said President Donald Trump’s commitments were “utterly worthless and devoid of credibility.”
The conflict, which began in late February, has targeted civilian infrastructure, including bridges, ports, utilities and telecommunications facilities, raising fears of a prolonged regional war.
US military deaths rise to 17
The Pentagon said 17 US service members have now been killed since the conflict began.
Among the earlier casualties:
-Six American soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike on a civilian port in Kuwait shortly after the war began.
-Another soldier later died from injuries sustained in a missile attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
-Six service members were killed when a KC-135 refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq during operations supporting -the campaign against Iran.
-A Navy pilot also died in a helicopter crash in the Arabian Sea earlier this month.
-Another US service member was killed in northern Iraq while carrying out the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone.
Military officials noted that American personnel remain vulnerable across the Middle East despite not operating on the ground inside Iran.
US launches ninth consecutive night of strikes
The United States carried out a fresh wave of airstrikes across Iran early Monday, intensifying its military campaign before announcing the death of another American service member in Iraq. Iran retaliated by launching missile attacks toward Bahrain and Kuwait, further widening a conflict that has pushed the Middle East closer to a full-scale regional war.
The renewed fighting comes days after the collapse of an interim ceasefire agreement that had briefly halted hostilities.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said it conducted its ninth straight night of airstrikes, targeting Iranian military command centres, air defence systems, coastal surveillance sites, missile and drone launch facilities, maritime capabilities and communications networks.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that at least one person was killed near the northwestern city of Tabriz, home to underground missile bases operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to Iranian media, the strikes also hit Bandar Imam Khomeini in Khuzestan province, Sirik and Jask in Hormozgan province, and Konarak and Chabahar in Sistan and Baluchistan province.
Trump says strikes honour fallen troops
The latest offensive followed the Pentagon’s announcement that another American service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday while carrying out the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone.
“We hit them very hard again tonight,” President Donald Trump said. “And we did that in honor of” the soldiers killed.
Iran retaliates with attacks on Gulf allies
Iran responded by launching missile attacks targeting Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, and Kuwait.
Air raid sirens sounded across Bahrain, while Kuwaiti authorities said air defence systems intercepted incoming Iranian projectiles.
The attacks marked another escalation in Tehran’s strategy of targeting US allies across the Gulf following American strikes on Iranian infrastructure.
Strait of Hormuz remains flashpoint
The Strait of Hormuz continues to be at the centre of the conflict.
A commercial vessel caught fire after being struck by a projectile near Oman’s coastline early Monday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The crew abandoned the ship, which remained adrift and ablaze.
The US military has encouraged commercial vessels to use routes closer to Oman to avoid Iranian-controlled waters, though Iran’s Revolutionary Guard later claimed responsibility for targeting tankers in the area.
Adding to concerns, Yemen’s Houthi movement announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, citing last week’s attack on Sanaa International Airport. With shipping through the Strait of Hormuz largely disrupted, Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on pipelines to export crude via the Red Sea.
