TAMPA, Fla.— U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said additional American casualties have been confirmed following recent Iranian attacks, reporting that a U.S. service member was killed in northern Iraq and that unidentified remains were recovered after an earlier missile and drone attack on a base in Jordan, as the United States expanded military operations against Iran.
In a statement released Sunday, CENTCOM said the service member in Iraq was killed on July 18 during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and is receiving treatment for what the military described as a minor injury. CENTCOM also said personnel searching the site of the July 17 attack in Jordan had recovered unidentified remains and that forensic examination was underway to determine their identity.
The latest announcement follows CENTCOM's confirmation a day earlier that two U.S. service members were killed while U.S. and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks in Jordan. The military had also reported one service member missing after the attack and said four others who were medically evacuated had since been discharged from hospital. The identities of the dead and missing have not been released pending notification of their families.
The additional casualty reports came as U.S. forces conducted a ninth consecutive day of strikes against targets in Iran. U.S. officials have said the operations are intended to reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and regional security following the collapse of a ceasefire. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military positions and regional infrastructure while rejecting U.S. accusations and maintaining that its actions are defensive.
The fighting has intensified concerns over broader regional stability and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy transit route. The escalation has disrupted shipping, contributed to higher oil prices and prompted renewed diplomatic efforts by regional and international actors to contain the conflict.
CENTCOM said it would release additional information on the casualties once identification procedures and family notifications are complete. U.S. military operations in the region remain ongoing, and officials said they continue to assess the impact of recent Iranian attacks while coordinating with allied forces.
