Two U.S. service members killed in Jordan and another is missing, military says

Two U.S. service members were killed Friday while defending against an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack in Jordan, and another service member is missing, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.

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CENTCOM said the troops were killed in action as U.S. and partner forces responded to the attack. It did not specify where in Jordan the attack occurred or provide additional details about the circumstances.

The U.S. began launching retaliatory airstrikes against Iran at 6 p.m. ET Saturday at President Donald Trump’s direction, in order to “swiftly punish” Iranian forces for the attack, CENTCOM said in a statement.

CENTCOM said that the strikes were also intended to weaken Iran’s “ability to threaten commercial shipping” in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the latest move by the U.S. to pressure Tehran to give up its control of the critical trade route.

Four other American service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan but have since been discharged, CENTCOM said. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty.

CENTCOM said it was withholding the identities of the two service members killed until 24 hours after their families have been notified.

The attack comes as the conflict between the U.S. and Iran has intensified following the collapse of an interim ceasefire. The two countries have traded daily strikes over the past week, with Iran launching ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. military positions and American allies across the region, including Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, while U.S. forces have carried out repeated strikes on Iranian military targets.

Jordan said Saturday that its forces intercepted Iranian missiles and drones that Tehran said were aimed at an American military base in the country. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed at least two U.S. fighter jets were destroyed in the attack, according to Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency. NBC News has not independently verified that claim.