Iran attacks US forces stationed in Jordan as escalation threatens fragile lull in conflict

Iranian forces launched ballistic missile and drone attacks against US military positions in Jordan, striking the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and killing two American service members. A third service member remains missing following the July 17 assault, which US Central Command confirmed as one of the deadliest single incidents in the broader US-Iran conflict that has simmered since February 2026. Multiple waves of attacks across July The July 17 attack was not an isolated event. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple waves of strikes against US bases in Jordan throughout the month, turning a country that had largely served as a logistics hub into a frontline target. The IRGC claimed responsibility for the operations, framing them as a response to what it called ongoing US aggression. US air defenses intercepted the majority of incoming projectiles during several of the assault waves. The most recent assault wave came on July 28 and 29, when Iranian forces attempted what appeared to be a surprise attack. US and Jordanian forces successfully intercepted the incoming projectiles, and no American casualties were reported from that particular incident. Jordan’s rising p...