The situation at a glance
USA and Iran vow revenge – new US air strikes
Updated July 19, 2026 – 5:00 amReading time: 4 minutes
The US military laments the death of two of its soldiers and says it is beginning retaliatory strikes in Iran. Tehran is also out for revenge. Can the escalation spiral still be stopped?
After the death of two US soldiers as a result of Iranian shelling and the night-long US bombardment Iran Both sides swear revenge – which threatens a dangerous spiral of escalation. The US military began new air strikes during the night, as the Centcom regional command announced on X. They were aimed, among other things, at the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, who had attacked American soldiers in the previous night Jordan committed “to be punished quickly”.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Moschtaba Khamenei previously threatened to take revenge. Khamenei, who has never made a public appearance, said in a statement: “As the American enemy now seeks warmongering, incurring even greater costs and inflicting even greater disgrace, let him know that the beloved Iranian people and the resistance front have unforgettable lessons for him,” it said.
So far 16 dead US soldiers
It was the first time since the early days of the Iran War that the USA and Israel on February 28th, the US military again reported deaths from Iranian fire. The two soldiers died in Jordan on Friday as US forces and allies defended themselves against Iranian missile and drone attacks, Centcom said. Another soldier is still missing. The officially known number of US soldiers killed in the war against Iran rises to 16.
Iran has aligned itself with US defense systems and is firing missiles that fly at extremely high speeds and can maneuver during their dive, the Wall Street Journal quoted US officials as saying. Iran’s ability to hit sensitive targets is fueling fears that Tehran is seeking assistance in targeting China or Russia receives.
Trump: “very sad thing”
The pressure on the US President Donald Trumpwhich is already confronted with discontent in its own country due to the unpopular war there, is likely to rise further with the deaths of US soldiers. US broadcaster NewsNation quoted him as saying after a conversation about the deaths that it was “a very sad thing.” “We don’t like to see that,” he said, reiterating that Iran should not have nuclear weapons.
