Three US soldiers killed after war with Iran ramps up again

| Live News Reporter Published July 20, 2026 12:14pm Updated July 20, 2026 12:15pm The US has released images of ongoing retaliatory strikes against Iran (Picture: Reuters) Three US soldiers have been killed in recent days after Iran and the US began exchanging strikes again. On Saturday, a soldier was killed in Iraq while trying to do a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone, US Central Command announced. A second soldier suffered minor injuries but is expected to recover. Just days ago, two service members were killed in an attack in Jordan, with four others injured. While searching for another service member who was reported missing in Jordan, the military found unidentified human remains. In response, the US began launching retaliatory strikes on Iran’s military bases and drone sites. The exchange of fire has reignited the war between the two countries, which briefly halted thanks to a ceasefire agreement. Central Command hasn’t released the names of the soldiers (Picture: AFP) The identities of the dead soldiers haven’t been released yet. Officials are waiting to notify their families. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is ‘open to a diplomatic solution’ after hostilities resumed late last week. ‘The world has to decide whether or not it’s going to allow an international waterway to be under the control of Iran,’ he added, referencing the Strait of Hormuz. Last week, the United States launched a wave of new strikes and issued a sinister warning to Iran after it began targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Multiple cargo ships were attacked by Iran last week, and Trump reimposed a blockade on the Strait. Iran has also continued carrying out missile and drone strikes against US allies in the Middle East, including Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. US strikes have targeted bridges and power plants (Picture: AFP) Trump warned that more US strikes would cripple Iran, targeting bridges and power plants unless the country backs down. ‘I ‌don’t like giving ​deadlines, but they pretty ⁠much know, they know ​the story… ​they ​better ​behave,’ he said. He added: ‘You’d better make a deal, or you’re not going to have anything left.’ Among the weapons in the US’ arsenal are kamikaze drones, which have been used to target Iranian naval facilities at Bandar Abbas Naval Base. The attacks over the weekend marked the first time the US military used uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) as strike weapons in combat. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Spain star praised for ‘standing up’ to Donald Trump during World Cup trophy lift Arrow MORE: Donald Trump threatens to send a bill to Canada because wildfire smoke has blown into the US Arrow MORE: Spain star wants to ‘forget’ Donald Trump handshake in World Cup final News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.