Trump ordered new Iran airstrikes after Jordan attack killed 2 U.S. troops, still defying war-powers resolution

On the night of July 17 into July 18, 2026, an Iranian drone and missile attack struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, killing two U.S. service members, leaving a third missing in action, and hospitalizing four others; the identities of the dead had not been released pending notification of next of kin. U.S. Central Command said the deaths marked the 15th and 16th U.S. service-member fatalities of the war with Iran, with more than 430 wounded since fighting began. In direct response, President Trump ordered a new round of U.S. airstrikes against Iran, which CENTCOM said were designed to "swiftly punish" the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and further degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes, launched Saturday, marked the eighth consecutive night of the U.S. bombing campaign since ceasefire talks broke down.

The retaliatory strikes extended a campaign Congress had directed the administration to end through the first-ever bicameral War Powers Resolution, passed in June 2026, absent a declaration of war or specific new congressional authorization. The administration has continued near-nightly strikes since without seeking one, treating the Jordan attack as grounds for further unilateral escalation rather than an occasion to return to Congress for authorization.