US continues retaliatory strikes against Iran – death toll among US soldiers rises

The spiral of violence is thus escalating just weeks after the start of the war, which began on 28 February 2026 with attacks by the US and Israel on the Islamic Republic. According to official figures, the number of US soldiers killed in the Iran war has risen to 16, after two more soldiers died on Friday during an operation in Jordan as US forces and allies repelled Iranian missile and drone attacks. In addition, a third US soldier has been missing since the attack.

Trump's Reaction

US President Donald Trump described the death of the two soldiers as "Sehr traurige Sache" and said the soldiers had "im Dienst ihres Landes gestorben." Asked about the losses, Trump declared: "Wir sehen das ungern." At the same time, he reiterated his position that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons. Trump also appeared unimpressed by the fact that Iran has suspended a framework agreement. "Wir mögen das nicht sehen", Trump said with regard to the soldiers.

Iran suspends framework agreement

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kasem Gharibabadi had previously stated that Iran had suspended the framework agreement and no longer felt bound by it. This statement was disseminated by the Iranian news agency Fars. Trump said in response that he did not care that Iran had suspended the agreement.

Diplomatic appeals from the region

The situation in the region remains highly volatile. Iran had recently attacked several Gulf states, with Bahrain and Kuwait reporting waves of Iranian attacks. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) called in a statement on platform X for an "sofortigen Stopp der Eskalation" and extreme restraint in order to prevent the region from sliding into a new level of violence and instability. The UAE demanded "ein sofortiges Ende der Feindseligkeiten sowie eine rasche Rückkehr an den Verhandlungstisch." The statement did not name the warring parties US and Iran.

Military objectives and strategy

Militarily, according to Centcom, the US attacks continue to focus on the Revolutionary Guards, which play a central role in the regional power projection of Tehran as the paramilitary arm of the Iranian regime. With the seventh consecutive night of attacks, the US is signaling that the air campaign against Iran is not yet over. At the same time, diplomatic pressure to contain the fighting is growing.

Trump repeated his message that Iran must not have nuclear weapons, without announcing any new diplomatic steps. Iran's suspension of the framework agreement and the US retaliatory strikes make a swift return to the negotiating table currently seem unlikely.

The international community is watching the developments with concern. While the Gulf states are calling for de-escalation, the US is pursuing a continued military line. The coming days will show whether the diplomatic appeals take effect or whether the violence continues to escalate.

With the new attacks, the US has made clear that it wants to respond to every deadly attack on its soldiers with immediate retaliatory strikes. The number of dead and missing on the US side underscores the risk of this approach.