US Expands Attacks on Iran After Deaths of Two Soldiers in Jordan

Amman – 19 July 2026: The United States has expanded its airstrikes on Iranian targets after two US soldiers were killed while defending against Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan. According to the US military, another soldier was initially reported missing in the attack on the base, while four others required hospital treatment.

According to the United States, the new wave of attacks targeted facilities of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Washington said the aim was to limit Iran’s ability to control the Strait of Hormuz and strike the units responsible for the attack on US forces. The waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is of central importance to global energy trade.

The clashes were not confined to Jordan and Iran. Kuwait again reported an alert over Iranian missiles and drones. A power plant and seawater desalination site had already been damaged there in recent days. The facility is particularly important for the desert state’s electricity supply and drinking water production. Bahrain also activated its air defenses.

Tehran said the attacks in the Gulf were directed at US military targets. In Kuwait, Iran named Al-Adiri Camp and Ali Al Salem Air Base, among others. Independently verifiable information on possible damage to these bases was initially not fully available. Kuwaiti authorities said interception measures against incoming projectiles were under way.

Israel also intensified its warnings to Iran’s leadership. The government in Jerusalem said it was ready to intervene should further attacks create an immediate threat to Israel. This increases the risk that the military confrontation between Washington and Tehran will spread even further to countries and infrastructure across the Middle East.

The latest deaths mark a further escalation of the conflict. On 19 July, the United States also reported the death of another member of its armed forces in Iraq, who was killed during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone. According to the United States, this incident was not directly linked to the attack on the Jordanian base.

A political solution remains out of sight. The repeated attacks on energy, water and military facilities are increasing pressure on the states along the Persian Gulf, which are caught between security interests, protecting their populations and fears of a regional expansion of the war. Reliable information on further casualties or damage may change rapidly given the ongoing situation.