Two more US service members have been killed in the conflict with Iran, raising the total number of American military deaths to 16, the US military said on Saturday.
The latest casualties occurred in Jordan, where US forces were defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, according to US Central Command. The military also said one service member remains missing following the attack.
Officials did not release the identities of the deceased, saying their names would be withheld until at least 24 hours after their families had been notified.
The rising death toll highlights the dangers faced by US forces across the Middle East, even without large numbers of ground troops. American military personnel stationed in the region remain vulnerable to missile and drone attacks as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.
President Donald Trump has said the military campaign is aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. As of Saturday afternoon, he had not publicly commented on the latest deaths. The White House instead referred reporters to the statement issued by US Central Command.
The first American casualties occurred shortly after the war began on Feb. 28, when an Iranian drone strike on a civilian port in Kuwait killed six US soldiers from an Iowa-based supply and logistics unit.
A seventh soldier later died from injuries suffered during an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 1.
Later in March, six more US service members were killed when a KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft supporting military operations against Iran crashed in Iraq. US Central Command said the aircraft was flying in friendly airspace when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft occurred.
Earlier this week, the US military also confirmed the death of a Navy pilot following a helicopter crash in the Arabian Sea. The Navy said the July 1 incident was an emergency landing and found no evidence that hostile action caused the crash. Three other sailors aboard the helicopter were rescued.
The conflict has also claimed many lives beyond the US military.
Iranian authorities say US airstrikes over the past three weeks have killed at least 50 people and injured more than 500 others. Among the latest casualties were eight people killed in a strike on a bridge on Friday.
The war has also resulted in deaths among merchant ship workers, foreign nationals and civilians in several countries across the region, including Gulf states, Israel and Lebanon.