Two US soldiers were killed and one is listed as missing following Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks in Jordan, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday. On the same day, the Iranian government declared that a framework agreement with the United States is no longer valid.
The attack took place on Friday, 17 July. According to a CENTCOM statement, four soldiers were transported to hospitals in Jordan and have since been discharged, while those with minor injuries returned to duty. The identities of the deceased are not being released until their families have been notified. These are the first US military casualties in the conflict with Iran since March.
The Jordanian military previously announced that it had intercepted ten Iranian missiles fired into its airspace during the night, with no reports of damage, the BBC reports.
The suspension of the agreement was announced by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Haribabadi, the Iranian Fars news agency reported. "We are committed to defending the country," Haribabadi said in a television interview, accusing the United States of violating obligations under the Memorandum of Understanding in Islamabad through "aggressive measures," thereby releasing Iran from its agreed commitments.
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated in a written declaration that repeated US violations had shown that President Donald Trump's signature was "completely worthless and devoid of credibility," Reuters reports.
The framework agreement, reached in mid-June, was intended to lead to a final deal ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz within 60 days. The ceasefire, in place since early April, collapsed in early July, after which conflicts escalated again.
According to the BBC, the US military carried out a seventh consecutive wave of strikes on Iran on the night into Saturday. Washington reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports, and Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed. Iranian state media, citing the country's health ministry, reported that at least 50 people had been killed in US strikes over the past three weeks, with more than 500 injured.
