According to reporting by The New York Times, Jordan has rapidly emerged as a new focal point in the U.S.-Iran conflict, with U.S. officials saying Iranian forces have attacked American troops there four times in the past five days including last night's attacks that killed two U.S. service members, left another missing, wounded dozens more, and damaged multiple helicopters.

U.S. officials told the Times the pace and effectiveness of the strikes suggest Iran not only retains substantial missile inventories, but is becoming increasingly effective at penetrating U.S. and allied air defenses.

The Times also reports that Jordan's strategic importance has grown significantly as the U.S. shifted forces there from Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE ahead of the conflict, while some regional partners have placed greater restrictions on U.S. military operations from their territory. According to U.S. officials, Jordan has become one of Washington's most important operating hubs in the region.

U.S. Central Command has announced that a new wave of strikes against Iran, the first since the announcement of 2 U.S. KIA, began at the top of the hour. Per the release, “The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night.

The new wave of U.S. strikes against Iran is expected to be far more expansive than past ones, with U.S. President Donald J. Trump reportedly telling military decision-makers to “rain hell” on Iran.

U.S. Airstrikes are now being reported in nearly every major Iranian province adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz and Arabian Gulf. Retaliatory Iranian strikes are to be expected in the near term.

According to new reporting from the Wall Street Journal, multiple U.S. manned and unmanned aircraft were reportedly damaged in Iran's attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, which also killed two U.S. service members and wounded several others. Hundreds of U.S. personnel and dozens of aircraft have been temporarily stationed at the base for strikes on Iran. The strike reflects an increasing focus on targeting U.S. air assets as the conflict continues to escalate.

Both Andrew and Tristan Tate have been arrested by U.S. Marshals outside of a private event in Miami, Florida, following an extradition request by the UK Government against the brothers on over fifty charges related to rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, as well as additional charges relating to illegal child images and pornography.

Iran’s state-run Tasnim News Agency reports U.S. strikes against targets to the southeast of Ahwaz, in the Khuzestan Province of Southwestern Iran.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced the completion of another round of retaliatory strikes, for the eighth night in a row, against Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites, which were carried out at the direction of the Commander-in-Chief, President Donald J. Trump.

In addition to regular targets in the Persian Gulf and Southern Iran, CENTCOM also conducted precision strikes against elements of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that were responsible for ballistic missile and drone attacks on Friday, July 17, against U.S. bases in Jordan, which killed two and injured multiple other American Servicemembers.

The U.S. Embassy in Amman has issued a Security Alert citing a "specific and credible threat" in Aqaba. Jordanian authorities have evacuated Aqaba's international airport and seaport, and Americans are being urged to avoid both locations.

The alert comes after multiple Iranian missile and drone attacks on Jordan in recent days, including strikes on U.S. military facilities, as well as Iranian warnings that countries supporting U.S. military operations could face additional attacks.

Al Arabiya reports air raid sirens are active across parts of Jordan amid emerging reports of an Iranian missile attack targeting the Aqaba area.

The reports come just hours after the U.S. Embassy in Amman issued a Security Alert warning of a "specific and credible threat" in Aqaba, prompting Jordanian authorities to evacuate the city's international airport and seaport.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has said that Congressional Republicans should add Iran to the Russian Sanctions Bill (Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025), as the bill progresses through the Senate.

Video purportedly filmed in Aqaba, Jordan appears to show multiple missile trails overhead as air raid sirens were activated for an incoming threat.

Source: https://x.com/ariel_oseran/status/2078817207065120890?s=20

According to the Israel Defense Force (IDF), the IDF detected missile launches from Iran toward Jordan, specifically Aqaba, that may trigger alerts in the southern Israeli city of Eliat. Per reports, the IDF has now said that missile fragment were engaged by Israeli air defense to mitigate the threat to Israel’s territory.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, speaking this morning on ABC News, said that President Trump still wants to end the ongoing conflict with a “peaceful agreement” with Iran, despite continued tit-for-tat strikes and the death of several U.S. Servicemembers in Jordan on Friday.

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning lls assigned to the “Green Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121), carry out flight operation onboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, USS Boxer (LHD-4), while transiting the Arabian Sea, in footage published today by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived at the U.S. State Department today for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as the Israel-Lebanon withdrawal framework is increasingly under question with U.S.-Iran relations continuing to escalate.

After just over an hour, the meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ended, according to a release from the Lebanese president’s office.

Confirming earlier reports, the Israel Defense Force (IDF), the IDF has said that air defenses intercepted debris from Iranian missiles fired at areas in Jordan near the Israeli border.

The U.S. State Department has released a readout, following the meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington, D.C. today. Per the release, the trilateral Israel-U.S.-Lebanon negotiations framework, centered on the dissolution of Lebanese Hezbollah and an Israeli tiered withdrawal from Southern Lebanon, was discussed.

Kuwait’s Armed Forces have said that Kuwaiti air defenses have dealt with a number of Iranian drone and missile attacks today, adding that facilities and installations of the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy have been targeted and damaged in the strikes.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has arrived at MetLife Stadium for the 2026 World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina.