Transcription
AMERICAN FLAG.
AISHAH: Okay, guys, stand by here. We've got some breaking news to get to right now out of the Middle East. Some new news from CENTCOM here. Lucas Tomlinson, who is live in Tel Aviv for us, what are you hearing?
REPORTER: Aishah, we have just learned from the U.S. Military Central Command in charge of all U.S. forces in the Middle East that two American service members have been killed and one is still missing after an Iranian missile attack on a base in Jordan. Additionally, we've learned that four American service members were wounded. They were transferred to Jordanian hospitals and have since been discharged. This call coming -- all coming last night after at least two intermediate-range ballistic missiles fired from Iran hit a base in Jordan not long of after U.S. Air Force personnel had arrived, part of President Bush's reinforce ifments, an F -- President Trump's reinforce ifments. Of course, U.S. Air Force personnel are deployed throughout the Middle East, have been heavily focused on the two U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike groups in the Arabian Sea. The Air Force isn't as public about where it deploys its forces, but Jordan is a major hub along with bases here in Israel, also Qatar, UAE and, of course, in Saudi Arabia. But Jordan has been a major hub. So, once again, Aishah, two American service members have been killed, one is still missing and pour were wounded in an Iranian ballistic -- four were wounded on a base in Jordan last evening. It is the first American casualties in months, since those six U.S. Army personnel were killed in the early days of the war in the attack on Kuwait. Aishah?
AISHAH: To terrible news this afternoon, Lucas. And we were anticipating, we heard some things about it and just wanted to make sure -- wanted to make sure and confirm before we went on air with us -- with it. Lucas, thank you for that report. As far as the four American service members who were injured and now have been medically evacuated, do you know anything more about how bad those injuries are and how they were injured?
REPORTER: It appears they were injured when these Iranian ballistic missiles hit their intended target at this base in Jordan. He -- let me read the statement. On July 17th, two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action as U.S. Central Command and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member's currently missing in action. Four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals, they have since been discharged. Other personnel were value -- evaluated for minor juries and have returned to duty. Out of respect for the family, CENTCOM will withhold the identities of the fall, until -- fallen until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified. This is the alert from U.S. Military Central Command if about two American service members killed, one still missing, four wounded in action, treated at Jordanian hospitals and discharged. But earlier we also spoke about other wounded American service members, 10 U.S. Army soldiers, 3 U.S. Navy sailors have been wounded in recent days before this attack. Last night on this air base in Jordan. Aishah?
AISHAH: And as we knew that things were amping. Because a senior IRGC commander this week was warning if U.S. strikes continued for a would be couple of more days -- a couple of more days, and it has been going for seven consecutive nights, that Iran would move into a phase of, quote, full scale offensive operations. So they were certainly ready to amp this up, and it seems like they have. We have reached out to the White House, Lucas. I have been trying to get some sort of a comment from them this afternoon, is and I was just checking Ruth social and we haven't seen anything from the if President just yet. Of course, the question is now, does this change the strategy for the President, for the administration moving forward? I do remember, Lucas, I'm sure you do too, at the beginning of all of this when people were asking about boots on the ground, what happens if we lose American soldiers, how that would impact his decision making, and he seemed to indicate that sometimes people get hurt and sometimes soldiers die when there's a conflict like this.
REPORTER: That's right, Aishah. We heard some of the early days of the war at the Pentagon briefing both from Secretary of War Pete Leg Death from General Cain -- Pete Hegseth that casualties are part of war. We heard it from President Trump as well, in that casualties are inevitable. Seven straight nights of American airstrikes inside Iran, really the first airstrikes started last week on July 7th when President Trump was in Ankara for the NATO summit and Iran attacked those three commercial ships transiting the Strait of More Miss, one from Saudi Arabia -- Hormuz. Officials say that really irked President Trump. Iran breaking the memorandum of understanding. We heard President Trump say the ceasefire's over. That was the impetus to restart the war, certainly major combat operation toes in the skies over Iran. And we've been slowly seeing the Pentagon ramp up the target list. Kerr Sham Island trying to rope the Strait of Hormuz, in the last few nights bridges taken out around Bandar Ab Was. It's their largest commercial port that sits right on the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump and the Pentagon want to see the Strait open to commercial traffic, but since these airstrikes have ramped up, traffic has slowed to a trickle. In fact, it's been over two months since U.S. warships made that dangerous passage through the Strait of Hormuz as well.
AISHAH: Lucas, just very quickly, because I'm reading the CENTCOM statement along with you. Obviously, details are limited as they are still talking with families, respecting the families. They're trying to withhold as much information about these fallen warriors as much as they can. But just trying to understand what happened here. Do you know if the Jordanians were launching defensive airstrikes in are return? Do you know, is that what happened here? They just didn't catch a couple of these ballistic missiles?
REPORTER: Most likely the U.S. Air Force was launching strike missions there this base in Jordan. Again, we've been very public, when you see the CENTCOM video showing the two aircraft carriers in the Arabian Sea, we don't -- we see the maps frequently of all the U.S. naval assets. We normally don't talk about U.S. Air Force assets because a lot of these countries, frankly, don't want it out there, very public although we have an idea thanks to plane spotters just monitoring open source media when some of these jets arrive. But when you look at Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, where President Trump spoke just a year ago in the Middle East, the Air Force is deploying to countries throughout the Middle East own colluding here in Israel. In fact -- including here in Israel. Dozens more refueling planes are heading not only here, but also desert Israeli air bases. More fighter squadrons, in Jordan in familiar an F-16 squadron from Germany was deployed there, also another F-35 stealth fighter jets. Recently we saw F-22 Raptors, also 5th generation jets, leave the Middle East. Likely not just replacements, but President Trump is ramping up this conflict against Iran. And to do that, you need more firepower to do it. It's not just the U.S. Navy, Aishah. You have to send U.S. Air Force squadrons a lot based from Germany, Italy and, of course, some from the United States as well.
AISHAH: Okay.