An anti-US billboard features a sentence in Persian that reads “Blood for Blood” hangs at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA
July 18 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered new airstrikes against Iran to “swiftly punish” the Islamic Republic for the killings of two U.S. service members.
U.S. Central Command said the troops were killed Friday by Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks in Jordan.
In a statement Saturday night, CENTCOM said “U.S. forces began launching new airstrikes against Iran at the commander in chief’s direction.”
“The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night,” the statement added.
One U.S. service member remains missing following the attack in Jordan.
“Four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals,” CENTCOM said in an earlier statement on X. “They have since been discharged. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty.”
The fallen troops have not been named. Their killing marks the first U.S. fatalities since the cease-fire between the United States and Iran fell apart last week.
“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,” CENTCOM said.
In total, 16 U.S. service members have been killed since the conflict began in February.
Military officials said American forces on Friday struck “surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage and maritime capabilities.”
Iran has retaliated by targeting U.S. allies in the area.
In Kuwait, attacks damaged a water desalination plant and an oil facility.
The Jordanian army said it intercepted and show down 10 Iranian missiles that entered the kingdom.
