Two U.S. service members were killed and one is missing following attacks in Jordan as American forces responded to Iranian ballistic missile and drone strikes. The U.S. Central Command confirmed the fatalities in the ongoing conflict and reported launching a new set of airstrikes to limit Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump authorized these strikes on July 17, as part of efforts to retaliate against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which had targeted U.S. forces in the region.

Amid the intensifying confrontations, Iran officially suspended its commitments to the interim peace agreement, the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed with the U.S. last month. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi cited U.S. violations of the agreement as justification. Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei vowed that Iran has “unforgettable lessons” planned for the United States, describing the memorandum as lacking credibility following renewed American airstrikes, which have now extended into their seventh night.

The broader conflict has disrupted commercial shipping and heightened tensions in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and intercepted multiple commercial vessels to enforce compliance amid ongoing hostilities. Simultaneously, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps reported intercepting four vessels trying to navigate the strait under U.S. protection, while neighboring countries like Kuwait and Bahrain have experienced missile and drone attacks linked to the conflict.

Despite the mounting casualties and escalating violence, President Trump maintained that the U.S. is “winning big” in the confrontation with Iran, emphasizing that Washington will not allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. The death toll for U.S. forces has risen to 16 since the conflict began in late February. Oil prices surged as unrest in the Middle East continued, with Brent crude reaching $88.10 per barrel on growing concerns about regional stability affecting the global energy market.