US Military D£ath Toll In Iran War Rises To 18 As Missing Soldier Confirmed K!lled In Airstrikes
US Military Death Toll In Iran War Rises To 18 As Missing Soldier Confirmed Killed In Airstrikes
The Pentagon said the soldier is believed to have died in Friday’s Iranian attack on the air base in Jordan, making him the third U.S. service member killed in that assault.
The United States military has confirmed that a 28-year-old soldier previously reported missing in Jordan is believed to have been killed during an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, bringing the number of American troops killed since the war with Iran began to 18.
The Pentagon said the soldier is believed to have died in Friday’s Iranian attack on the air base in Jordan, making him the third U.S. service member killed in that assault.
The latest casualty came as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had carried out an 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets, while Iran said it had launched fresh drone attacks on U.S. military installations in Jordan and Bahrain.
In a statement released on Tuesday night, CENTCOM said American forces conducted another round of attacks aimed at weakening Iran’s military capabilities.
“At 8:15 p.m. ET on July 21, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) successfully completed the 11th consecutive evening of strikes against Iran,” the statement said.
According to CENTCOM, the operation targeted key military infrastructure across Iran.
“CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The U.S. military accused Iran of endangering international trade through repeated attacks on commercial vessels transiting one of the world’s busiest maritime routes.
“Over the past three months, Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the international waterway vital for regional and global trade. The unwarranted attacks have endangered hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM stated.
Despite the escalating conflict, the command said shipping activities through the strategic waterway had continued.
“Despite Iranian aggression, the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. Since early May, CENTCOM forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil.”
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities confirmed that U.S. missiles struck an electrical substation near the country’s only nuclear power plant in Bushehr.
According to the deputy governor for security affairs of Bushehr Province, two explosions occurred in Bushehr city while a third blast was recorded near Khormoj.
He said missiles hit an electrical substation near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, temporarily disrupting electricity supply in Bandar-e Gah village.
However, the official said there were no casualties.
“The attack resulted in no loss of life or injuries,” he said, adding that electricity was restored within two hours.
Iran’s military also announced that it had launched drone strikes on two American military installations in Jordan and Bahrain.
In a statement carried by the Mehr News Agency, the Iranian military said Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and Isa Air Base in Bahrain were targeted.
“The army targeted the ‘housing and welfare buildings’ and ‘equipment warehouses’ of the terrorist US army at the Azraq base in Jordan with drones in the morning,” the statement said.
It added that Iranian drones also struck facilities at Bahrain’s Isa Air Base.
“[Drones] also targeted the ‘large equipment warehouses and sheds’ and the ‘heavy aircraft maintenance and repair sheds’ of the child-killing and criminal US army at the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.”
The claims have not been independently verified, and U.S. authorities have yet to publicly comment on the alleged strikes on Bahrain.
As fighting intensifies, President Donald Trump’s administration is facing growing criticism from Democratic lawmakers over its request for tens of billions of dollars in additional military funding.
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Senator Patty Murray questioned the administration’s strategy, accusing the White House of sending mixed signals about the war.
“The president is threatening escalation and war crimes, and suggesting this could be another forever war,” Murray said.
“He has told us over 40 times now that a deal is near and the war will be over soon. But now, he is asking for $70bn more. And for us to just trust him, it’ll work out fine.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand also criticised Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over the administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget for 2027.
She accused the administration of seeking “unlimited money for bombs” while neglecting pressing domestic priorities, including healthcare, housing, food security and support for farmers.
Another tense exchange unfolded when Senator Gary Peters challenged Hegseth over what he described as the absence of a coherent long-term strategy for the war.
Hegseth rejected the criticism.
“That characterisation is reckless and irresponsible,” he said, accusing Democratic lawmakers of refusing to adequately fund U.S. troops.
Peters pushed back, saying, “It’s not a question of money. It’s a question of leadership.”
The latest developments underscore the continued escalation of hostilities between Washington and Tehran, with military operations expanding across multiple countries in the Middle East while political divisions deepen in the United States over the cost and direction of the conflict.
