Two U.S. service members were killed and one remains missing after Iranian ballistic missile and drone strikes hit a base in Jordan on Friday, U.S. Central Command said. Four other service members were evacuated for medical treatment and later discharged. The attack occurred at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq, a major hub for U.S. tactical aircraft in the region. Earlier in the week, Iranian strikes wounded about 20 troops at King Faisal Air Base and damaged Blackhawk helicopters at a base in eastern Jordan. A fire was reported at a Kuwaiti power and water desalination plant following an Iranian attack, with the facility’s fire brought under control and repairs ongoing. CENTCOM withheld the identities of the deceased until 24 hours after next‑of‑kin notification. Video posted on social media captured missiles striking the base overnight. In response, U.S. forces launched a series of airstrikes against Iranian coastal surveillance, air defense, maritime and missile‑drone storage sites, marking the eighth consecutive night of retaliatory strikes ordered by President Trump. The strikes aimed to degrade Iran’s capacity to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and punish the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the attacks. Iran’s deputy foreign minister announced suspension of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, according to the Fars News Agency. Separate Iranian attacks also hit Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia and a power‑water plant in Kuwait, causing fires and damage to facilities. President Donald Trump described the deaths as “a very sad thing” and reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains the central objective of the conflict. The incident underscores the expanding confrontation between the United States and Iran, with both sides targeting critical infrastructure across the region.
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Iran launched a ballistic missile at a U.S.
Iran launched a ballistic missile at a U.S. base in Jordan on July 17, killing two U.S. service members and leaving a third missing, according to U.S. officials. The attack struck Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Azraq, Jordan. On July 18, Iran fired a missile at a U.S. installation in Saudi Arabia near al Kharj, marking the first Iranian strike on Saudi territory in almost three months. In addition, Iran attacked a Kuwaiti power and desalination plant on July 18, causing material damage, and struck unspecified Kuwaiti oil facilities. U.S. officials said Iranian missiles travel at high speeds and can maneuver during flight, a capability Iran has pursued since its strikes on Israel in April and October 2024. Iranian leaders have said the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, particularly its clause concerning the Strait of Hormuz, is no longer in effect, with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other officials declaring the agreement invalid. Iran and the United States have disagreed on the interpretation of that clause, which required Iran to ensure safe passage through the strait; Iran viewed it as affirming its authority over the waterway. The People's Republic of China and Russia are assessed by U.S. officials to be providing support for Iranian targeting of U.S. bases. The United States has conducted additional strikes on transportation infrastructure around Bandar Abbas, Iran, to disrupt supply routes. Iranian officials have threatened a response to any U.S. interference in the Strait of Hormuz.
Two U.S. service members were killed Friday in an Iranian attack in Jordan, bringing the confirmed U.S. military death toll in the U.S.-Iran conflict to 16, officials said. One service member remains missing. The conflict began in late February after the United States and Israel conducted coordinated strikes against Iran. A ceasefire had been agreed a month earlier, but fighting resumed after both sides accused the other of violating the agreement. CENTCOM said the deaths occurred while U.S. and partner forces were defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, but it did not provide further details. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X, "Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve." Pentagon data show at least 427 U.S. service members have been injured since the conflict began. Iran said it struck bridges, a railway junction and a surveillance tower in southeast Iran, and that it hit a power plant and a water desalination station in Kuwait. The Iranian health ministry reported 50 deaths and 500 injuries from U.S. strikes this month. President Donald Trump announced the United States would resume its blockade of Iranian ports, and Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Iran is no longer bound by the ceasefire agreement. The dispute over the ceasefire remains unresolved as both sides continue to accuse each other of violations and hostilities persist.
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on July 18 that Russian forces had made multiple advances in Donetsk Oblast, but evidence does not confirm those claims. The assessment was presented in a short speech following a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
The assessment listed several villages and distances that Russian forces purportedly reached, while the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said it had not observed the described advances. ISW noted limited infiltration distances and no corroborating footage.
Gerasimov claimed Russian troops entered Pidlyman, seized Pyskunivka, approached Mykolaivka, came within five kilometers of Kramatorsk, entered Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka, Dobropillya, Hannivka, and other locations, and claimed near seizure of Shevchenko, Krasnoyarske, Svitle, and Myrne. ISW reported that Russian forces had not been observed entering those places and that the closest verified distances were 8.5 kilometers from Pidlyman, three kilometers from Pyskunivka, nine kilometers from Mykolaivka, and six point one kilometers from Kramatorsk and Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka. ISW also measured advances of 7.2 to 7.3 kilometers from Dobropillya and Hannivka and about 2.2 kilometers from Svitle and 3.2 kilometers from Krasnoyarske.
Gerasimov repeated claims that Russian forces were moving west from Kupyansk toward Shevchenkove, though Russian troops had not captured Kupyansk itself and only had limited infiltration there. The chief of staff made similar exaggerated statements at monthly meetings since January 2026, a pattern ISW said was intended to shape perceptions of Russian momentum and Ukrainian weakness.
Ukrainian forces continued to strike Russian logistics and energy targets. On the night of July 17-18, Ukrainian units hit two tankers, two crane vessels and one tugboat in the Azov and Black Seas, and struck eight dry cargo ships, one gas tanker, one tugboat and two crane vessels in the Black Sea, plus one oil tanker in the Sea of Azov, according to Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces commander Major Robert “Magyar” Brovdi. He said Ukrainian attacks had hit 172 Russian naval vessels in the previous 13 days, forcing Russia to redeploy up to 200 drone crews from the front line, the 51st Air Defense Division and an anti-aircraft regiment from the Black Sea Fleet to protect ships.
Additional Ukrainian strikes targeted Russian oil infrastructure. A Ukrainian drone attack set fire to the Nefto-Service oil depot in Noginsk, Moscow Oblast, and Russian officials acknowledged the strike. In Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian strikes caused power outages for more than 46,000 consumers, according to the regional governor. Further strikes hit electrical substations in occupied Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, and Ukrainian forces damaged the 110 kV “Koktebel” substation in Shchebetovka, the 110 kV “Kerchensk” and 220 kV “Komysh-Burun” substations in Kerch, the “Kuban-Crimea” transfer point in Hlazivka, and the 220 kV “Chornomorska” substation in Vulkanivka, according to Brovdi.
Ukrainian attacks also hit Russian logistics companies. Overnight on July 17-18, Ukrainian drones damaged two warehouses of Wildberries, Russia’s largest e‑commerce retailer, in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, and Kotovsk, Tambov Oblast, causing fires. Russian officials said the strikes injured dozens and killed at least one person in each location. Independent analysts estimated the damage could cost Wildberries up to 100 billion rubles ($1.28 billion). Russian media reported that Ozon changed its seller terms in June 2026, shifting liability for force‑majeure damage onto sellers.
Russian officials condemned the Ukrainian strikes as terrorist acts and accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians. The strikes occurred amid broader Russian economic difficulties and declining public support for President Vladimir Putin.
The Southern Axis reported continued Russian attempts to maintain frontline positions and protect rear areas from Ukrainian strikes, while Russian forces conducted limited offensives in the Hulyaipole direction, Orikhiv, and other sectors without achieving significant territorial gains. Russian missile and drone attacks on July 17-18 included two Iskander‑M ballistic missiles, two Onyx anti‑ship missiles, three Kh‑59/69 cruise missiles and about 90 loitering munitions, which the Ukrainian Air Force said were largely intercepted.
Neither side reported confirmed territorial changes on July 18. The situation remains fluid, with both Russia and Ukraine continuing to conduct limited offensives and targeted strikes that affect logistics, energy and civilian infrastructure.