The United States military confirmed on Saturday that two of its service members were killed and one remains missing following a direct Iranian attack on an American base in Jordan, marking the first US troop deaths from Iranian fire since the earliest days of the conflict.
Attack Details and Casualties
The attack, which took place on Friday, involved a combination of Iranian ballistic missiles and drone strikes. Four additional service members who sustained injuries were evacuated to hospitals in Jordan and subsequently discharged. The identities of those killed have not been released.
The toll from the war now stands at 16 US military deaths and more than 430 wounded since hostilities began. The announcement came within minutes of a statement broadcast on Iranian state television and attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since the war started.
Iran's Supreme Leader Issues Warning
In the statement, Iran's supreme leader warned that the United States would face 'unforgettable lessons' if it continued striking the Islamic Republic. Khamenei also declared President Donald Trump's signature 'worthless and invalid' and extended his warning to include the network of armed groups aligned with Tehran, which he referred to as the 'Axis of Resistance.'
The threats came hours after Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, announced on state television that Tehran was suspending its obligations under an interim ceasefire agreement signed approximately a month ago, accusing Washington of breaking the terms first. No mediator has offered a fresh response to the breakdown.
Diplomatic Off-Ramp Collapses
The deal had been structured as a pathway to a permanent end to the fighting. Its collapse leaves the conflict with no visible diplomatic off-ramp. Meanwhile, the US Central Command said its forces carried out a seventh consecutive night of strikes in the early hours of Saturday, targeting surveillance infrastructure, military logistics networks, underground weapons storage sites, and maritime assets linked to Iran.
Strait of Hormuz at the Centre of Conflict
The war has increasingly concentrated around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that previously channelled roughly a fifth of the world's crude oil supply. Strikes from both sides are now routinely hitting military and infrastructure targets, with civilian services caught in the crossfire, including desalination plants that supply drinking water to populations in the region. Global markets remain on edge as the conflict shows no sign of resolution.
