Two U.S. service members have been killed and another is missing following an Iranian attack in Jordan, the U.S. military said on Saturday (18 July), as fighting between Washington and Tehran intensified despite efforts to revive a collapsed ceasefire.
U.S. Central Command said the casualties occurred on Friday, bringing the number of American service members killed since the conflict began to 16 people. More than 420 have also been wounded.
The announcement came as Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned the United States would face "heavier costs" for what he described as efforts to escalate the conflict.
Iranian strikes were reported across several Gulf states, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, while Saudi Arabia activated air raid alerts in areas hosting key military and energy infrastructure.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, while Iranian state media claimed missile and drone attacks destroyed U.S. aircraft at Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan. Reuters could not independently verify those claims.
Kuwait said it intercepted ballistic missiles and drones, while its state oil company reported damage to one of its facilities following repeated attacks.
The latest escalation follows another night of U.S. strikes targeting Iranian surveillance sites, logistics infrastructure and weapons storage facilities, including locations in Hormozgan province near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian authorities said U.S. airstrikes killed three people and wounded eight in the province on Saturday, adding that bridges and transport infrastructure were damaged.
Iran's Health Ministry said U.S. strikes over the past three weeks have killed 50 people and injured more than 500.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass, remains at the centre of the conflict.
Both sides have targeted maritime traffic, while the European Union and Gulf states have jointly called on Iran to halt attacks on shipping and ensure free navigation through the strategic waterway.
Oil prices rose more than 4% on Friday, reflecting growing concerns that the conflict could further disrupt global energy supplies.
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An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Flights arriving at Catania airport in eastern Sicily were suspended after volcanic ash from a new eruption of Mount Etna drifted into the airspace around the airport, disrupting operations at one of Italy’s busiest aviation hubs.
A deal on a new route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "very close," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, while warning that the reopening of the waterway depends on the U.S. meeting other conditions, including paying compensation to Iran.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of August, covering the latest developments.
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions.
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions.
A deal on a new route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "very close," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, while warning that the reopening of the waterway depends on the U.S. meeting other conditions, including paying compensation to Iran.
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “soon”.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, two key maritime chokepoints in the region, decreased significantly from the previous day, according to shipping data.
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