The United States launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran on July 18, escalating an already widening military campaign across the Middle East after two American service members were killed in a recent attack in Jordan.
In a July 18 post on X, U.S. Central Command said American forces began conducting strikes at 6 p.m. ET "at the Commander in Chief's direction." The military said the operation is intended to further weaken Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and "swiftly punish" Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces that launched attacks against U.S. service members in Jordan the previous night.
Before the strikes, Iran's supreme leader said Washington would pay for "seeking to escalate the conflict," Reuters reported July 18.
Earlier Saturday, CENTCOM said Iranian ballistic missiles and drones struck U.S. and partner forces in Jordan on July 17, killing two American service members and leaving another missing.