By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-07-20 14:31:56 | Updated at 2026-08-06 21:36:32
2 weeks ago
Dozens of US troops were wounded in three Iranian strikes on Jordan in the week before an attack Friday that killed two American soldiers and left one missing.
The strikes, which also damaged multiple US helicopters, were not publicly disclosed by the Pentagon but were confirmed by multiple officials to the New York Times on Monday.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said last week it was retaliating against Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, never mentioning the strikes on American troops in Jordan.
The discrepancy marks the tension between what the Pentagon says it must keep secret to protect operational security, and its obligation to keep the public informed about the war.
CENTCOM is not required to release information about injured troops.
Pentagon officials told the Times that many of the injuries were not severe and that revealing details about the wounded could help to serve Iran as it carries out other attacks on bases which house thousands of US troops.
More than 400 troops have been injured in the conflict since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. The Pentagon has not updated the total wounded in several weeks.
First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, were killed after an attack on an American air base in Jordan on Friday - the first US troops killed in the conflict with Iran since March, bringing the death toll to 17.
US Marines conduct a live fire evolution on the flight deck of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans February 11
First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, (pictured) were killed after an attack on an American air base in Jordan on Friday - the first US troops killed in the conflict with Iran since March, bringing the death toll to 17
Central Command is also working to establish whether remains found close to the devastated Jordan base belong to a fourth service member who had been listed as missing.
A third US soldier was killed in northern Iraq on Saturday during the controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone. The Pentagon has not released the soldier's identity.
As American deaths continue climbing, Trump's confrontation with Iran is spiraling toward a far wider conflict, with the US unleashing its ninth consecutive wave of strikes.
The President, speaking at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night after attending the World Cup final, said the US had 'hit them very hard again' in a fresh barrage launched to avenge the fallen soldiers.
Iran hit back on Monday morning, launching explosive-laden suicide drones at critical infrastructure in Kuwait, according to the Kuwaiti military.
Previously, Trump said the deaths of the two troops are 'a very sad thing.'
The President also told NewsNation on Sunday that he 'couldn’t care less' if Iran no longer abides by the peace agreement signed last month.
The overnight bombardment pounded Iranian command centers, air defenses, naval assets, coastal surveillance posts and missile, drone and communications sites.
Pete Hegseth attends a meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (not pictured) and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 14 July
A CH-53 Super Stallion, attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265, lands on the flight deck of America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7), during flight quarters, March 2
Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump shake hands following a roundtable at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
The US is trying to cripple Tehran's ability to menace commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway responsible for carrying one-fifth of all global oil.
Fighting resumed last week after America accused Iran of violating the Memorandum of Understanding by attacking oil tankers passing through the Persian Gulf.
The US Navy has also hit back at Iranian aggression, reimposing a blockade on all of the regime's ports and seizing several of its ships.
'The US is planning for a wider war,' said one American official familiar to the Washington Post. The source noted that the Pentagon was boosting the number of aircraft in the region.
The official cautioned that the expanded operation would be limited because US stocks of air-defense and long-range weapons are running low, and battle damage was restricting how many extra troops and warplanes can be funneled into the region.
