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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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Central Command, known as 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.
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 U.S. launched 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. The day’s strikes ended at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Central Command later said.
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.
Late Saturday, CENTCOM said U.S. forces completed the eighth consecutive night of launching munitions against Iran, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces believed to have targeted U.S. service members in Jordan on Friday.
It said U.S. forces struck Iranian military surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime assets, and missile and drone storage sites.
Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim said on Telegram overnight that its forces launched “massive drone attacks” on key U.S. military sites in Kuwait. Iran said its attacks will impact U.S. military support operations in the Middle East. NBC News could not immediately verify the claim.
The attack that killed U.S. forces 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 earlier 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.
Gordon Lubold is a national security reporter for NBC News.
Courtney Kube is a correspondent covering national security and the military for the NBC News Investigative Unit.
I am NBC News’ producer & off-air reporter covering stories about and related to the Defense Department around the world.
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