Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Iran War: Three U.S. servicemen killed

Another American service member has been reported killed by fragments of a downed Iranian drone in northern Iraq, raising the number of U.S. troops killed last week to three.

• July 20, 2026
Coffins of U.S. servicemen
Coffins of U.S. servicemen[Credit: Ny Times]

Another American service member has been reported killed by fragments of a downed Iranian drone in northern Iraq, raising the number of U.S. troops killed last week to three, after a separate drone strike in Jordan killed two service members, according to U.S. Central Command.

In what should have been the controlled destruction of an Iranian attack drone that had already been downed, a service member was killed, and another was slightly injured, CENTCOM confirmed in a statement.

“A U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone,” CENTCOM wrote in a post on X. “A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury.”

In a separate incident in Jordan, two servicemen were killed while the third person was reported missing. CENTCOM said it found human remains of an individual believed to be the third person and was examining the body to establish an identity.

“Yesterday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the passing of two U.S. service members and the missing status of one in Jordan following an Iranian attack on July 17,” CENTCOM said on Sunday. “After a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains at the location earlier today. An examination process to verify the remains is ongoing.”

The identities of the verified fallen men in Jordan and Iraq were withheld to notify family members, the statement added.

The U.S. responded with heavy gunfire, launching strikes against Iran for the ninth night in a row.

President Donald Trump said the strikes were “in honour” of the soldiers whom he described  as “great patriots.”

“Well, we feel very badly. But you know, those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting so that Iran could not have a nuclear weapon,” Mr  Trump said. “Iran has been very, very badly damaged. They’ve lost everything almost militarily. They’ve got very little left.”

He added that the American troops “hit them very hard again”.

“They’ve got some missiles, they’ve got some drones, they’ve got some manufacturing ability. Not much. We control the Strait. They don’t control anything,” he said.

The escalation of the war between Iran and the U.S. has sent oil prices soaring to $90, with Tehran fighting to control the Strait of Hormuz and dictate the terms of passage for oil ships.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Jumoke Oduwole

Economy

Tinubu govt targets higher value from non-oil exports

The federal government says it will sustain growth in non-oil exports by promoting value addition, expanding markets and improving export competitiveness.

Skyway Aviation Handling Company

Rights

SAHCO acquires emergency evacuation chair for air passengers

SAHCO announced the acquisition of emergency evacuation chairs to improve accessibility and emergency response for passengers with reduced mobility.

Bauchi has arrested Clement Anthony

States

Bauchi resident nabbed for murder

The police command in Bauchi has arrested Clement Anthony, 40, for fatally shooting Jacob Bature in the Unguwar Ngas area of Inkil.

Road crash in Abeokuta

States

Two killed in Abeokuta road crash

The Federal Road Safety Corps says two persons died in a road crash involving a Lexus car and a motorcycle at the Leme area of Abeokuta.