The US says it is targeting Iranian forces after the death of two American soldiers

The United States said on Sunday it was targeting Iranian forces who attacked Jordan last week, an Iranian attack that left two American service members dead and one missing.

The weekend’s events also jeopardized last month’s fragile deal between the two sides, which could spark new concerns about oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Central Command said it ended the eighth consecutive night of strikes against Iran.

“CENTCOM forces have successfully hit Iranian military coastal patrols and air defense facilities, sea power, and missile and drone storage facilities to further undermine Iran’s military capabilities,” the X website said.

“US military assets also targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces that attacked US troops in Jordan on July 17,” it added.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, issued a security alert on Sunday, saying Jordanian authorities had evacuated the international airport and port in Aqaba “due to a specific and credible threat” without elaborating.

However, it is reported that Jordan denied that he made the decision to leave these institutions.

“No potential threats have been recorded by Jordanian authorities in the past few hours,” Reuters quoted government spokesman Mohammad Al-Momani as saying in a written statement. “The airport and port are operating normally.”

US President Donald Trump ordered the military to launch new airstrikes, which began late Saturday, to “reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz” and “punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces that attacked American service members in Jordan last night,” according to Centcom.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday sought to ease concerns that the renewed war would further close the Strait of Hormuz and raise electricity prices.

“The seven-day tracking average right now is less than seven million barrels per day flowing through the waterway, and just under seven million barrels per day flowing through the pipelines,” Wright said during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week.” “What we are doing is ensuring that oil and gas and other products can flow through the Strait of Hormuz with or without the cooperation of Iran.”

Pressed on recent data showing slow traffic at the border, Wright said: “Almost all the public data I’ve seen is wrong.” The research company Kpler on Friday said that the crossing of the problem on Thursday was reduced to 8 ships.

Meanwhile, gasoline prices in the US are rising again. The national average for gas per gallon was more than $3.99 on Sunday, according to AAA, up from more than $3.87 the previous week.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Saturday that the country has suspended its commitment to the cooperation agreement signed last month with the US.

“The United States has violated and suspended all its obligations under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” he said. “We have also suspended our commitment; we are not doing it and we are busy defending our country.”

When asked about Iran withdrawing from the interim peace deal, Trump told a NewsNation reporter, “I couldn’t care less.”

A memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran last month has continued to emerge amid recent hostilities, with both sides trading airstrikes against the region. The interim agreement was intended to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said the country had “unforgettable lessons” from the US.

“Now that America’s enemy wants to escalate the war and endure huge costs, we must know that the Iranian country and the Resistance Front have #unforgettable_ lessons in store for us,” the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said in a message from Khamenei on X.

Khamenei said the repeated attacks by the US showed that Trump’s signing of the memorandum of understanding was “useless and unreliable.”

The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the remarks.

The two additional deaths of members of the US military in Jordan add to the previously confirmed deaths of 14 other members killed in combat since the war began with US and Israeli strikes in Iran on Feb. 28, according to MS Now.

Trump, in a phone interview with a NewsNation reporter, called the deaths of the two service members “very sad, very sad.”

“We hate to see it happen. It works for our country,” and he reiterated his vow that the US “will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to X’s death: “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice strengthens our resolve.”

On Saturday, the IRGC said it intercepted four ships as they attempted to sail under US protection through the Strait of Hormuz.

And Iran continued to target its regional neighbors.

Kuwait said on Sunday its air defenses are facing missile and drone attacks by Iran.

The Gulf country has come under repeated Iranian strikes in recent days, one of which hit its key desalination plant.

Despite the renewed attacks, Trump insisted that the war with Iran is going well, saying on Thursday in his first speech to the American public: “We are also winning a lot in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that work very soon.”

The US president has threatened to strike Iran’s bridges and power plants next week if the country refuses to return to the negotiating table.

Oil prices were at record highs on Friday due to ongoing unrest in the Middle East.

An international benchmark Brent crude Futures for September delivery advanced 4.6% to $88.10 a barrel on Friday, while US West Texas Intermediate futures for August delivery gained 4.5% to settle at $82.49. Both have been at their best since mid-June.

This week, both benchmarks have gained nearly 16%, with Brent on track for its third consecutive weekly gain and WTI set for a second.

– Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.