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03:25

We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.

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03:20

US Hits Iran For Ninth Night To 'Honor' Fallen Americans, Trump Says

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had launched attacks on Iran on July 20 for the ninth straight night to degrade Tehran's ability to hit shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while US President Donald Trump said the strikes were designed to honor Americans killed in action in recent days.

Trump told reporters that "we hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the, probably three, it's probably three great patriots."

US President Donald Trump arrives in Washington on July 19 following his attendance at the World Cup in New Jersey.

He said that "we feel very badly" about the deaths of the service members who died fighting so that "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon."

Trump made the comments while returning to Washington following his attendance at the World Cup final in New Jersey.

Meanwhile,CENTCOM saidthat its forces "began conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran...for the ninth consecutive night. The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

CENTCOM earlier reported the first deaths in action of US service members related to the Iran war since March.

It said two service members were killed on July 17 and that another was missing defending against an Iranian missile and drone attack at an undisclosed site in Jordan. It later said unidentified remains were recovered at the site, raising the likelihood of a third fatality in the Middle East country.

Then, on July 19, CENTCOM said another service member was killed in Iraq during a "controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury,"CENTCOM said.

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21:33

19.7.2026

US Military Death Toll Rises With Fatality In Iraq, Discovery Of Remains In Jordan

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on July 19 said a service member was killed following an Iranian drone attack in Iraq, adding to the two deaths disclosed earlier in Jordan, where the discovery of unidentified remains raised the possibility of a fourth fatality in the past three days.

"A U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury,"CENTCOM said.

A day earlier, CENTCOM had announced thefirst combat lossesin the Iran war since March, saying two service members had been killed and another was missing during defensive operations in Jordan, as hostilities ramped up in the region and further endangered a fragile cease-fire.

In its latest statement, the military said that "after a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains at the location earlier today [in Jordan]. An examination process to verify the remains is ongoing," raising the possibility that the remains were of the missing service member.

That statement did not specify where in Jordan the attack occurred. Identification of the victims was not provided pending notification of family members.

SEE ALSO:

2 US Service Members Killed, 1 Missing In Jordan As Iran Steps Up Attacks, Threats

The main site of US operations on the territory of the Middle East ally is the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, about 80 kilometers outside Amman. US forces also have operations at the Prince Hassan Air Base and at other military facilities in Jordan.

The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that the strike occurred at the Muwaffaq Salti base, which US forces have used to launch air strikes against Iran.

Jordan on July 19 summoned Iran's representative in Amman to protest Tehran's missile and drone strikes on the Middle East nation, labeling them "brutal and unjustified."

The CENTCOM statement did not provide further details on the fatality in Iraq.

US forces remain operating in Iraq for training and anti-terror purposes, although numbers are down significantly from the 170,000 at the height of the Iraq war. US and Iraqi officials have said the US troops are scheduled to fully depart in September.

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19:07

19.7.2026

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 Charg 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."