U.S. names two soldiers killed in Jordan strike blamed on Iran
CENTCOM says two U.S. troops died at a Jordan air base, another is missing and a third service member was killed in Iraq after a drone detonation.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The U.S. military has identified two American soldiers killed in strikes it blamed on Iran at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, as U.S. Central Command vowed to “swiftly punish” Tehran.
CENTCOM named the soldiers as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. The military said Feehan was killed Saturday and Gonzales was killed Friday.
Both soldiers were assigned to air defense artillery regiments, according to the U.S. military. Feehan was based in North Carolina, while Gonzales was based in Germany. The military said both were stationed at the Jordan base, and the incidents remain under investigation.
A third soldier is still listed as missing after the strikes in Jordan, CENTCOM said. The command said unidentified remains were found at the location of the attack and that an examination process is underway to confirm whose remains they are.
Another U.S. service member was declared dead in northern Iraq on Sunday after what CENTCOM described as “a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone.”
Dozens wounded in attacks on Jordan base
The deaths came during a violent weekend for U.S. forces in the region. CBS News reported that four Iranian attacks in five days targeting U.S. forces in Jordan left dozens wounded, prompting questions over whether missile defense systems failed to detect or intercept incoming fire.
A U.S. official confirmed to CBS News that the Jordan strike hit Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The Wall Street Journal first reported the location of the attack, according to CBS News.
CENTCOM previously said four U.S. service members were taken to a hospital in Jordan and later discharged. Other personnel were treated for minor injuries, the command said.
Video from the ballistic missile attack in Jordan suggested troops had little or no advance warning before personnel rushed toward shelters, CBS News reported.
Trump and Hegseth respond
President Trump paid tribute to the fallen service members Sunday, calling them “great patriots” and saying they were fighting so “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” CBS News noted that recent U.S. airstrikes have centered on reopening the Strait of Hormuz rather than dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X after the deaths in Jordan: “Godspeed, heroes.” He added that their sacrifice “only stiffens our resolve.”
CENTCOM said the U.S. completed a ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iran at 10 p.m. ET Sunday. The command said its forces targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks.
The stated aim, according to CENTCOM, was to reduce Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
Strait of Hormuz tensions widen
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency said Monday that sailors abandoned a vessel after it was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz. The agency said the crew was recovered by a tug boat, the vessel remained on fire and adrift, and no environmental impact had been reported.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers trying to pass through the strait “exploded and were brought to a halt,” according to CBS and AFP.
AAA said the national average price for regular gasoline in the U.S. returned to $4 a gallon Monday. The Associated Press reported that Brent crude rose 3.2% to $90.95 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude climbed 2.8% to $84.04.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.