The United States has launched its eighth consecutive night of strikes against Iran, hours after confirming that two American soldiers were killed in Tehran’s attack on Jordan.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operation was ordered by President Donald Trump to “swiftly punish” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces responsible for the assault and to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

At 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, US forces began launching new airstrikes against Iranian targets. CENTCOM emphasised that the strikes were both retaliatory and preventive, designed to punish Iran for killing American service members and to weaken Tehran’s maritime threat capabilities.

The announcement came shortly after CENTCOM confirmed that two US soldiers were killed on Friday while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks in Jordan. Another service member remains missing in action.

The US military has now confirmed that 16 personnel have been killed since the war erupted on 28 February, when massive US-Israeli strikes marked the beginning of hostilities. Four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals following the latest attacks but have since been discharged. Others treated for minor injuries have returned to duty.

Iranian state broadcaster reported that fuel tanks at the Al-Azraq US base in Jordan were targeted. The Revolutionary Guards had earlier claimed to have attacked US aircraft stationed in the country with missiles and drones. These developments underscore the escalating cycle of retaliation between Washington and Tehran.

The war resumed earlier this month after the US accused Iran of targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most vital energy conduit. Tehran responded by striking American military sites across Gulf countries, intensifying the confrontation. Smoke was seen rising from unknown locations during the latest US strikes on Iran, highlighting the scale of the bombardment.

The renewed hostilities come just weeks after a preliminary peace deal collapsed. On 17 June, President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a 14-point agreement aimed at ending the conflict.

The deal called for an immediate cessation of military operations, including in Lebanon, and committed both sides to pursue a final settlement within 60 days. However, Trump declared the deal “over” on 8 July, accusing Tehran of violating commitments. Iran later suspended the memorandum of understanding, charging Washington with breaking all its promises.

Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father Ali Khamenei after he was killed in the strikes on 28 February, condemned the US president’s credibility. In a rare statement on X, he declared that the repeated breaches of the agreement had shown “the worthlessness of the American president’s signature.” He warned that the US would face “unforgettable lessons” from Iran and the Resistance Front if it continued to escalate the conflict.

Major General Mohsen Rezaei, senior military adviser to Khamenei, reinforced the warning by stating that Iran would resume “full-scale offensive operations” if US strikes persisted. He stressed that Tehran would no longer restrict itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses, signalling a potential expansion of the war.

The situation now reflects a dangerous breakdown of diplomacy, with both sides abandoning commitments and intensifying military operations. The US insists its strikes are necessary to protect its forces and global shipping routes, while Iran vows to escalate its offensive campaign.

The collapse of the June agreement has left the region on the brink of wider conflict, with the possibility of direct clashes spreading across multiple theatres in West Asia.

Agencies