The United States launched a fresh wave of airstrikes targeting Iran early Monday, vowing to punish the Islamic Republic for an attack on a base in Jordan that killed three U.S. servicemen and wounded four others. The strikes, now in their ninth consecutive night, are designed to degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and punish forces responsible for attacks against American service members.
Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the retaliatory strikes targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that American strikes killed at least one person near Tabriz, a northwestern city believed to host underground missile bases run by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
US strikes also likely hit sites in Bandar Imam Khomeini, Sirik, Jask, Konarak, and Chahbahar, according to IRNA. Iranian authorities reported that at least 50 people were killed and 517 wounded in the latest rounds of U.S. strikes. Since the conflict began on February 28, 17 U.S. service members have been killed.
Initially, two deaths were reported following the attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, but the U.S. later confirmed the remains of a third service member had been found. Four other American service members were wounded and medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. Video footage circulating online purports to show missiles striking the airbase, followed by a large explosion and shouts of "Go, go, go!"
In the week preceding the Jordan strike, Tehran had carried out three other attacks against U.S. forces in the country, injuring dozens of service members and damaging several helicopters, according to U.S. officials speaking to The New York Times. The Pentagon had not publicly disclosed these attacks or their casualties.
In retaliation for the Jordan attack, Iran reportedly launched strikes targeting Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, and Kuwait. Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens, and Kuwait reported its air defense systems engaged an incoming barrage. A vessel also caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile near the coast of Oman, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre.
President Donald Trump commented on the soldiers' deaths, calling it a "very sad thing" and reiterating his stance against Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed condolences, stating, "Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."
In parallel, another American service member died in Iraq on July 18 during the "controlled detonation" of a downed Iranian one-way attack drone, with a second service member wounded in the incident. The U.S. has also reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to halt crude oil shipments, reporting the redirection of six ships and the disabling of one since the blockade began.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the U.S. remains open to negotiations with Iran, emphasizing the need for meaningful dialogue. He noted, "That's not where we are tonight, unfortunately."
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif acknowledged in an essay that the conflict could not survive the dissonance over the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that only diplomacy and a regional security framework could resolve the situation. However, he also cautioned that repeated threats to maritime traffic could alienate much of the international community.