Trump Describes Deaths of US Troops In Iran Attack ‘a Very Sad Thing’

US President Donald Trump has described the deaths of two American service members killed in Jordan following Iranian strikes as “a very sad thing,” in his first public reaction to the announcement.

Speaking in a brief phone interview with NewsNation, Trump expressed his condolences over the loss and said the incident represented the risks faced by those serving the country.

“Very sad, it’s a very sad thing,” Trump told NewsNation . “We hate to see it happen. It’s in service to our country,” he added, while reiterating that Iran must not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.

The deaths occurred on July 17 when US Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces were defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks at the Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan. A third service member remains missing in action.

According to CENTCOM, four US service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals and have since been discharged, while other personnel treated for minor injuries have returned to duty.

The latest fatalities bring the total number of US service members killed since the US-Israel war on Iran began to 16, with more than 430 wounded.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also reacted to the announcement, posting on X: “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve”.

Trump subsequently ordered the US military to conduct new retaliatory airstrikes against Iran, marking the seventh consecutive night of US military operations against Iranian targets . CENTCOM said the strikes were 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 the attacks against American service members in Jordan.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement warning that Washington would pay for “seeking to escalate the conflict,” saying repeated US breaches of the interim deal had shown that President Trump’s signature was “utterly worthless and devoid of credibility”.

Meanwhile, Iran announced it was suspending its commitments under the interim memorandum of understanding signed with the United States about a month ago.