Iranian military counter-attack missiles directed at Middle Eastern countries [AFP=Yonhap News]

Amid escalating armed conflict between the United States and Iran in the Middle East, two U.S. soldiers have been killed and one is missing following Iranian missile and drone strikes.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations against Iran, stated on the 18th (local time), "On July 17, while CENTCOM and coalition forces were defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, two U.S. service members stationed in Jordan were killed. Another soldier remains missing."

Although Central Command did not specify the exact location, the site of the Iranian attack appears to be a U.S. Air Force base in Jordan. The dpa news agency reported, "The major U.S. military base in Jordan is located in Azraq, about 100 km northeast of the capital, Amman."

The U.S. has been conducting airstrikes on Iranian military facilities around the Strait of Hormuz for seven consecutive days as of the previous day. In retaliation, Iran has launched counter-attacks against U.S. military bases in other Middle Eastern countries allied with the U.S., such as Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, further intensifying the armed confrontation between the two sides.

The Associated Press reported that this marks the first time U.S. soldiers have been killed by a direct attack from the Iranian military since the Iran war began last February. Since the outbreak of the war on February 28, there have been 16 U.S. military fatalities and over 430 injuries.

This is also the first time U.S. soldiers have been killed during the current wave of intensifying military clashes, which followed the collapse of the ceasefire after the termination of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and Iran, triggered by the Iranian military's attack on a civilian vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on the 7th.

With strong public opposition to the war within the United States, news of these U.S. military deaths is expected to place significant pressure on President Donald Trump, who has been ordering the airstrikes on Iran.

Furthermore, it appears highly likely that President Trump will further intensify U.S. airstrikes against Iran, which have been carried out for seven consecutive days, in retaliation for the deaths of the U.S. soldiers.

Central Command reported that in addition to the three dead and missing, four other U.S. soldiers were transported to hospitals in Jordan and have since been discharged, while other soldiers with minor injuries have already returned to duty.

Central Command stated, "Out of respect for the families, no further information, including the identities of the deceased soldiers, will be released until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified."