Jordan Summons Iran Envoy, Condemns 'Brutal' Attacks After US Service Members Killed
Jordan on July 19 summoned Iran's representative in Amman to protest Tehran's missile and drone strikes on the Middle East nation, a US ally and site of the deaths of at least to American service members two days earlier.
Jordan's said its Foreign Ministry "summoned the Chargé d'Affaires of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Embassy in Amman and conveyed to him a strongly worded message of protest against the continuation of Iran's brutal and unjustified attacks targeting the Kingdom's territories, and the provocative and inflammatory statements issued by official Iranian entities regarding the Kingdom."
The statement on X added that ministry spokesman Fuad Majali "clarified that the ministry had reiterated its condemnation and denunciation of the brutal Iranian attacks, which represent a flagrant violation of the Kingdom's sovereignty and a blatant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter."
It also condemned Iran's series of attacks on "sisterly" Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and stated its "absolute solidarity and support" for the countries that have been the target of Tehran's retaliatory missile and drone strikes since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28.
The US military suffered its first combat fatalities since March in the Iran war, with the Pentagon saying two service members were killed and another was missing during defensive operations in Jordan, as hostilities ramped up in the region and further endangered a fragile cease-fire.
"On July 17, two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as US Central Command...and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing in action," CENTCOM said on X on July 18.
As of midday on July 19, no information had been made public by CENTCOM on the fate of the missing service member.
Iran Executes 2 Men Over Antigovernment Protests In Early 2026
Two men were hanged in the Iranian city of Isfahan on July 19 over allegations related to antigovernment protests earlier this year, according to Mizan news, which is affiliated with Iran's judiciary.
The men were identified as Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, who were among 12 protesters -- including a number of teenagers -- in the central Iranian city whose death sentences were upheld last week by the country's Supreme Court.
Prior to this announcement, a recent tally by Amnesty International said there had been 44 “politically motivated executions” under cover of what the authorities call “wartime conditions” since US and Israeli air strikes on Iran began on February 28.
The ages of the two men executed on July 19 or dates of their arrests were not disclosed. Mohammadi was reportedly an Afghan citizen.
The indictment stated the two men had "filmed the scene of the killing and transmitted the footage to television channels" abroad.
Mass protests erupted in late December 2025, initially sparked by anger over the high cost of living but which rapidly turned into widespread antigovernment demonstrations. The movement peaked on January 8-9 before a brutal crackdown by security forces.
Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths, claiming that "terrorist acts" had been orchestrated by the US and Israel. Foreign-based organizations said security forces fired on protesters.
At the time, US President Donald Trump threatened to intervene militarily in Iran. US and Israeli forces later launched air strikes on Iran beginning on February 28 and triggering the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Amnesty has said Iran is responsible for the second most executions of any country, after China. Iran Human Rights and other organizations said at least 1,639 people were executed in Iran in 2025.
With reporting by AFP
Rubio Meets With Lebanese President Ahead Of Discussions With Trump
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed Lebanon for its "move towards peace" following a meeting with the embattled Middle East nation's president, Joseph Aoun, in Washington on July 19.
The secretary "commended the courage of the Government of Lebanon, under President Aoun's leadership, for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move towards peace," the State Department said.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is considered a terrorist organization by the US, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political branch.
Aoun is expected meet with US President Donald Trump later this week to present a plan on how to disarm Hezbollah and secure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon. Aoun would become is the first Lebanese head of state in nearly 20 years to visit the White House.
Israeli forces occupy a large strip of Lebanon's south, while hundreds of thousands of Lebanese citizens remain displaced following Israeli strikes.
Hezbollah has rejected the Lebanese government's direct talks with Israel.
Israel has said its attacks on southern Lebanon and areas around Beirut are designed to eliminate the threat of Hezbollah militants who have launched missiles into Israeli territory.
Israel Says Iranian Missile Intercepted With Jordan's Help
The Israeli military announced on July 19 that Israeli and Jordanian forces had intercepted an Iranian missile fired toward the city of Aqaba in Jordan.
Minutes before the interception, the Israeli Army announced it had detected missiles fired from Iran toward Aqaba and had warned of the possibility of "contagion" of attacks on Israeli territory.
An Israeli Army spokesman, responding to a question from AFP about reports of an explosion near the southern Israeli city of Eilat, said Israeli and Jordanian forces had jointly intercepted a projectile.
Meanwhile, the Jordanian Army announced it had shot down "three Iranian missiles that were targeting its territory" and that another missile had landed in a desert area, without announcing its exact location.
Air raid sirens also sounded in the Jordanian capital, Amman, and other areas of the country.
Jordan has reported multiple interceptions of Iranian missiles and drones during the latest round of hostilities between Iran and the United States. The US military said that two American service members were killed in an Iranian attack on Jordan on July 17.
IAEA Investigating Reports Of Attack On Iran's Darkhovin Nuclear Project
The UN nuclear watchdog has said it is looking into reports that Iran's planned Darkhovin nuclear power plant was hit overnight.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the facility was still in the very early stages of construction and contained no nuclear material when it was last inspected.
Earlier on July 19, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization accused the United States of striking the site in Khuzestan Province, calling the attack a violation of international law.
Washington has not immediately commented on the allegation.
Darkhovin is a civilian nuclear power project that Iran began building in 2022. Unlike the country's better-known facilities at Natanz and Fordow, which are associated with uranium enrichment, Darkhovin is intended to generate electricity once completed.
Iran Says It Halted 4 Ships Attempting To Leave Hormuz Via 'Unsafe' Route
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said on July 19 that it stopped four ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without authorization.
According to the Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, the vessels had switched off their navigation systems and ignored warnings from the force's Strait of Hormuz control base.
Two of the ships were involved in an incident and were forced to stop, while the other two abandoned their route, it added, without providing further details.
The IRGC claimed it has full control over the strategic waterway and warned that vessels attempting to use routes it considers unsafe would "certainly" face accidents.
Jordan Says No Evacuation Orders Issued For Aqaba Airport, Seaport After US Security Alert
Jordan said on July 19 that authorities had not issued evacuation orders for the airport or seaport in the Red Sea city of Aqaba and had detected no potential threats in recent hours.
The statement by a government spokesperson, carried by Jordan’s state news agency Petra, came after the US Embassy in Amman claimed Jordanian authorities had evacuated the two facilities because of a “specific and credible threat.”
Aqaba, Jordan's only coastal city, lies across the Red Sea from the Israeli port city of Eilat. Earlier on July 19, air raid sirens sounded in parts of Jordan following Iranian attacks, amid heightened regional tensions.
The US Embassy urged Americans to avoid traveling to Aqaba's airport and seaport until further notice and advised caution at locations associated with the United States. It did not provide details about the nature of the reported threat.
Kuwait Reports Fresh Iranian Missile, Drone Attacks As Tehran Claims Strikes On US Bases
Kuwait's military said it was intercepting Iranian missiles and drones on July 19, with air raid sirens sounding in parts of the country, while Iran said it had launched a fresh wave of attacks targeting US military bases in the Gulf state.
"Kuwaiti air defenses are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks," the military said, describing the barrage as "sinful Iranian aggression."
The AFP news agency reported warning sirens sounding in Kuwait City in the morning on July 19.
Iran's army said the attacks were part of the 17th phase of its Operation Saeqeh, claiming it targeted an ammunition depot at Camp Al-Adairi and facilities, including radar systems, at Ali Al Salem Air Base.
The latest exchange came a day after Kuwait said Iranian missile and drone attacks struck a power plant and an oil facility. Iran said the latest strikes were carried out in response to US attacks on Iranian territory.
US Launches Fresh Strikes On Iran After American Soldiers Killed in Jordan
The US military said it has launched new air strikes on Iran, the eighth consecutive night it has done so, just hours after confirming two US soldiers were killed and another missing during defensive operations in Jordan during attacks launched by Tehran.
"Today at 6 p.m. ET, U.S. forces began launching new airstrikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on July 18.
"The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night."
The battle to control the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that accounts for one-fifth of global oil and gas transit, continues to shred an accord aimed at stopping the fighting to allow Washington and Tehran to hammer out a peace deal.
2 US Service Members Killed, 1 Missing In Jordan After Iranian Missile Strike
The US military said two US service members were killed and another one is missing in Jordan as part of defensive operations against incoming Iranian ballistic missiles.
Four others were injured and evacuated to Jordanian hospitals, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X on July 18. Two of them have been discharged from the hospital, while several others were evaluated for minor injuries and returned to duty, it added.
"On July 17, two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as US Central Command...and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing in action," CENTCOM said.
The statement did not specify where in Jordan the attack occurred or immediately identify the casualties.
The deaths would bring the total of known fatalities among US service members since the start of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 to 16, with all but one listed as combat deaths.
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