Iran strike kills two US troops in Jordan as Tehran unveils ‘blood for blood’ billboard targeting Trump

New Delhi: The war between the United States and Iran intensified sharply after two American service members were killed and another reported missing following an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack on a military base in Jordan. The incident marks the first US combat fatalities caused by direct Iranian fire since the opening phase of the war, even as Tehran has escalated its messaging through provocative public displays targeting the US president Donald Trump and his family.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said the troops were killed on July 17 while American and partner forces defended against incoming Iranian missiles and drones. Four other service members who were evacuated to hospitals in Jordan have since been discharged, while personnel with minor injuries have returned to duty.

Centcom said it would not release the identities of the deceased until their families had been formally informed. With the latest deaths, the number of US service members killed since the conflict began has risen to 16, while more than 430 have been wounded.

The attack came as the US military continued its campaign against Iranian military infrastructure. According to Centcom, American forces carried out another round of strikes targeting surveillance facilities, logistics hubs, underground weapons storage sites and maritime capabilities inside Iran, marking the seventh consecutive night of operations.

Iran responded by launching attacks on US military positions across multiple countries, including Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Reports indicated that infrastructure in Kuwait, including a desalination plant and an oil facility, suffered significant damage.

Tehran ups propaganda campaign

Alongside military operations, Iran has stepped up its psychological messaging with a series of giant state-backed billboards across Tehran. One newly unveiled mural in Palestine Square depicts Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and the president’s five children standing above coffins draped in the American flag, with White House in the background. The Persian slogan on the billboard translates to “Blood for Blood”.

The display follows an earlier mural in Enghelab Square portraying Trump lying in a coffin, as well as other public artworks featuring the US president in the crosshairs of a rifle and threatening senior American political figures.

The increasingly personal imagery reflects Iran’s broader effort to combine military retaliation with information warfare, using prominent public spaces in Tehran to reinforce its message of revenge after the killing of senior Iranian leaders and their family members earlier in the conflict.

Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, also issued a fresh warning, declaring that the United States would face “unforgettable lessons” if it continued its attacks. He described any agreement signed by Trump as “worthless and invalid” and vowed that Iran and the so-called axis of resistance would continue confronting what he called the “American enemy”.