Iranian missiles kill two U.S. soldiers in Jordan, highlighting advanced Hayber/Shiken capability

Iran has deployed its newly‑developed Hayber/Shiken ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles against U.S. installations in the Middle East. On 17 July, the missiles and drones struck the Muvaffak al‑Salti air base in Jordan, killing two American servicemen, leaving one missing and wounding four others. The attacks used missiles capable of rapid launch from trucks, a 1,450‑kilometre range and, in some variants, in‑flight maneuvering that can evade standard air‑defence interceptors.

U.S. Central Command confirmed the casualties and said the strike was the first U.S. combat loss since the cease‑fire earlier in the year. Pentagon officials later revised the official casualty tally for the broader Iran‑U.S. conflict, cutting the reported number of killed servicemen from 18 to 14 and wounded from 482 to 420, citing data corrections. Analysts note the heightened risk that the missiles could be supported by technology from China or Russia, though no concrete evidence has been presented.

The incidents underscore Tehran’s growing ability to target U.S. forces beyond its borders and have prompted renewed diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran while raising concerns about regional security and the effectiveness of U.S. missile‑defence systems.