Two American service members were killed in Jordan on Friday during Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks against U.S. Central Command and partner forces. A third service member remains missing in action, according to Centcom.
The deaths bring the total number of U.S. military fatalities to 16 killed in action since the war began with American and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, according to CNBC. President Donald Trump ordered new airstrikes starting at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday to, in Centcom's words, "degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz" and to "punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night."
Trump, speaking by telephone with a NewsNation reporter, called the deaths "very sad, it's a very sad thing." He added, "We hate to see it happen. It's in service to our country," and repeated his pledge that the United States is "never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on X: "Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."
The deaths came as the fragile truce between the two countries fell apart. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi announced that Iran had suspended its commitments to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a deal signed last month that was intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict. The interim agreement had followed seven consecutive nights of U.S. airstrikes against Iranian targets.
"The United States has violated and suspended all of its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding," Gharibabadi said. "We have also suspended our commitments; we are not implementing them and are busy defending our country."
When a reporter asked Trump about Iran's decision to abandon the agreement, he replied, "I couldn't care less."
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a sharp warning through the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, posting on X: "Now that the American enemy seeks to ignite war and endure heavier costs, it should know that the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front have #unforgettable_lessons in store for it."
Khamenei also said that Trump's signature on the memorandum of understanding is "utterly worthless and devoid of credibility." The White House did not respond to a request for comment on his remarks.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments. The interim agreement had been seen as a step toward stabilizing the waterway, through which a significant share of the world's oil supply passes. With that deal now suspended by both sides, the path toward any new negotiation is unclear.
Centcom confirmed it had completed a seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran before the latest round of Iranian attacks on U.S. forces in Jordan. The conflict, now in its fifth month, has drawn comparisons to previous episodes of U.S.-Iran military tension, though the current fighting has lasted longer and produced more U.S. casualties than any prior confrontation between the two countries.
No timetable for talks has been announced by either government. Both sides appear to be preparing for continued military action.
