U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Sunday, July 19, that the eighth consecutive night of U.S. strikes against targets in Iran had concluded. According to CENTCOM, the operation was carried out in response to an attack on Friday night that killed two U.S. service members in Jordan.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 19, 2026
CENTCOM said that in this latest round of strikes, units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that, according to the command, were involved in directing the missile and drone attack against U.S. forces in Jordan were targeted. The command also stated that, in addition to the two service members killed, one U.S. soldier remains missing.
According to the CENTCOM statement, the purpose of the strikes was to degrade the Iranian regime’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and to respond to the recent attack against U.S. forces.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) also reported that with the deaths of the two U.S. service members in the latest attack, the number of U.S. military personnel killed in the ongoing conflict with the Iranian regime since February 29 has reached 16.
Attack on a U.S. base in Jordan
A U.S. official told CBS that the missile and drone attack attributed to the Iranian regime targeted Muwaffaq Al Salti Air Base in Jordan’s Azraq region. According to CENTCOM, two U.S. service members were killed while defending the base against the missile and drone attack, and four others were wounded and later discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment.
U.S. President Donald Trump described the deaths of the service members as deeply tragic. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also paid tribute to those killed and said the attack had strengthened Washington’s resolve to respond to those responsible.
In contrast, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that it had destroyed two U.S. fighter jets and three other U.S. aircraft during the attack on the Azraq base, a claim that has not been independently verified.
Reports of U.S. strikes near the Strait of Hormuz
At the same time, Iranian media, citing the Hormozgan provincial governor’s office, reported that early Sunday an area near Sirik County, close to the Strait of Hormuz, was targeted in a U.S. military strike. CENTCOM had also stated that part of the new operation was intended to reduce the Iranian regime’s military capabilities in the region.
Continued exchange of attacks
Meanwhile, the public relations office of Iran’s regime’s military announced the start of a new phase of drone attacks against U.S. positions in the region, claiming that U.S. ammunition depots and military facilities at Camp Al-Adiri and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait had been targeted. This claim has not been confirmed by independent sources or U.S. officials.
Separately, Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the foreign ministers of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, in a telephone conversation, condemned the attacks attributed to the Iranian regime against Kuwait and reaffirmed Kuwait’s right to defend its sovereignty and security. The two sides also discussed diplomatic measures to contain regional tensions.
