U.S. military launches new airstrikes to punish Iran for deaths of US troops

By — Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Jon Gambrell, Associated Press By — Toqa Ezzidin, Associated Press Toqa Ezzidin, Associated Press By — Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/us-military-launches-new-airstrikes-to-punish-iran-for-deaths-of-us-troops Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter U.S. military launches new airstrikes to punish Iran for deaths of US troops World Updated on Jul 18, 2026 7:07 PM EDT — Published on Jul 18, 2026 11:34 AM EDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military said Saturday that it launched new airstrikes against Iran to "swiftly punish" the country's Revolutionary Guard for an attack in Jordan that killed two American service members, left one missing and four requiring hospitalization. The strikes were designed to further degrade Iran's ability to restrict the traffic of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Central Command said. The waterway accounted for roughly 20% of global oil supplies before the war. The new strikes came after the U.S. military announced its first troop deaths due to direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war, following a drone and missile attack on a base in Jordan on Friday. The dead were not identified. Since the war began, 16 U.S. service members have been killed and over 430 wounded. Iran's supreme leader warned of 'unforgettable lessons' Minutes before the U.S. announced the troop deaths earlier Saturday, Iran's supreme leader warned of "unforgettable lessons" if the U.S. keeps attacking the Islamic Republic. The remarks read out on state TV and attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, still unseen since the war began, also called President Donald Trump's signature "worthless and invalid." An Iranian negotiator said Tehran was suspending its commitments to the interim deal signed about a month ago and aimed at permanently ending the fighting. READ MORE: 3 islands help control access to the Strait of Hormuz. They're in the crosshairs of the Iran war Tehran's declarations snapped another fragile thread as the war shows no end in sight. Now Khamenei warns of "lessons" not only from Iran but also its armed proxies in the region, calling them the "Axis of Resistance." The U.S. issued a global travel alert over the rising tensions. The battle has focused on control of the Strait of Hormuz. The widening strikes now threaten civilians and infrastructure, including desalination plants for drinking water, while the global economy again is on alert. The U.S. has violated its commitments under the deal and now Iran is "no longer implementing them," Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, told state TV. There was no new word on mediation efforts. U.S. soldiers face growing risks The previous recorded death of a U.S. service member was that of a helicopter pilot who crashed in the Arabian Sea earlier this month. Early