Two US soldiers killed as Mojtaba Khamenei vows ‘unforgettable lessons’ while Iran war rattles Middle East | World

Two US service members were killed, and another remains missing after Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks targeted American and partner forces in Jordan, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday, marking another deadly escalation in the widening conflict between Washington and Tehran.

In an official statement, CENTCOM described the attack that took place on July 17 while American and its partner forces were defending against the barrage.

“Four American service members who were injured in the strikes were evacuated to hospitals in Jordan and have since been discharged, while others treated for minor injuries have returned to duty,” it added.

CENTCOM said it would withhold the identities of the personnel killed until their families had been notified.

The most extensive damage from Iran’s strikes on Saturday was reported in Kuwait, where a water desalination plant and an oil facility were hit, according to Kuwaiti authorities and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s warning to US

The acknowledgement of troops casualties came just as tensions escalated further after Iran signalled it was suspending its commitments under an interim agreement signed around a month ago, raising fresh doubts over prospects for ending the conflict.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that the United States would face “unforgettable lessons” if it continued attacking the Islamic Republic, while also describing US President Donald Trump’s signature as “worthless and invalid”.

The remarks, attributed to Khamenei and broadcast on Iranian state television, came hours after an Iranian negotiator announced Tehran was stepping back from the interim deal that had been aimed at laying the groundwork for a permanent end to hostilities.

Khamenei also warned that Iran and its regional allies, collectively known as the “Axis of Resistance”, would respond to continued US military action, signalling the possibility of a broader regional confrontation.

As conflict escalates to new strikes and threats, fighting around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz has intensified, with both sides increasingly focusing on control of the waterway through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil is transported, raising concerns over global energy supplies and the risk of a prolonged conflict.

Also read: US launches fresh attacks on Iran by hitting bridges, energy sites as battle over Hormuz intensifies