by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News July 20, 2026

Two U.S. servicemembers were killed in an Iranian missile attack on a U.S. airbase in Jordan.

An Iranian missile struck prefabricated housing units where troops lived and slept at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, the Wall Street Journal reported on July 20, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

“Iran has adapted to U.S. defenses, firing missiles that travel at extremely high speeds and can maneuver as they streak toward the earth,” the Journal previously reported.

Iran has received assistance from China in developing its sophisticated missile force, reports say.

Geostrategy-Direct.com reported in June that the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on several Chinese individuals and companies accused of supplying weapons to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and defense ministry.

In May, Treasury also targeted IRGC procurement networks for supplying arms and supporting an Iranian organization called the Center for Innovation and Technology Cooperation that coordinates technology acquisition and sought to buy man-portable air defense missiles from communist China.

Related: China brags about accuracy of ‘Iran’s’ missiles, March 31, 2026

China has also granted Iran military access to its BeiDou satellite navigation system, which helps guide missiles.

U.S. intelligence suggests Iran receives critical targeting data from Chinese satellites, allowing Iranian missiles to maneuver at high speeds and bypass U.S. defense systems.

The Iranian attack killed two soldiers from Army air and missile defense units.

The Pentagon identified the two air defenders who were killed as First Lt. Tyler J. Feehan of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton, Texas. A third servicemember, who hasn’t been identified, is missing.

In a 24-hour period, three Iranian missiles were able to avoid U.S. air defenses and strike the U.S. base in Jordan.

The first missile strike hit the base’s gym, U.S. officials said. A siren signaling the incoming attack sounded in time for troops to try to shelter in the bunkers. Some were wounded on the way to the bunker, but none were killed, officials said.

Hours later sirens sounded again, sending troops heading toward the bunkers. This time, an Iranian missile hit an empty aircraft hangar, officials said.

The third missile strike hit containerized housing units, where soldiers had been sleeping, the officials said. The sirens sounded for a third time, but not everyone made it to the bunkers.

President Donald Trump wrote in a post to social media on Monday: “Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over! This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military.”

Iran has circulated satellite imagery on social-media accounts showing what it claims is damage to the base in Jordan, including what appears to be a housing area.

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to be seen in public since being elevated to the position after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was blown up in a U.S. strike, warned in a statement of “unforgettable lessons” if the U.S. continues to strike Iran.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the U.S. was still open to negotiations with Iran, but it must abide by any commitments it makes. “We’re always open to diplomacy. It has to be real.”

In addition to the attacks on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Iran also struck King Faisal Air Base last week, where U.S. forces are also based. Iranian forces also attacked a separate airfield in Jordan, where several U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters were damaged, the Journal previously reported.

Freedom Rocks! Until It Is Gone

  Armed by China? Iran’s sophisticated missile strikes put U.S. forces at risk, WorldTribune.com