The United States conducted airstrikes against Iran on Sunday in response to the killing of U.S. troops, marking an escalation in tensions between the two nations. The U.S. military reported that a service member was killed in Iraq during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone. The strikes targeted Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard after an attack in Jordan that left one service member missing, with unidentified remains later found. Since the conflict began, 17 U.S. service members have died.
The U.S. military's Central Command stated that the airstrikes aimed to degrade Iran's military capabilities, specifically targeting coastal surveillance, air defense facilities, and missile storage sites. In retaliation, Iran launched missiles toward Jordan, prompting air defense systems in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain to activate. Jordan's military reported intercepting several missiles without causing casualties.
Iran's atomic energy agency claimed that U.S. strikes targeted the construction site of a planned nuclear power plant, although the International Atomic Energy Agency noted that the site was in the early stages of construction and contained no nuclear material during its last inspection. The conflict has seen Iran focusing attacks on U.S.-allied Arab states, while Israel has warned of potential spillover effects from Iranian missile launches.
U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to target Iran's infrastructure to influence its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil supplies. The U.S. has also reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to disrupt crude oil shipments, with reports of significantly reduced maritime traffic in the area.