US renews strikes against Iran after military deaths

The United States launched new strikes against Iran, Central Command said, after it earlier announced that two U.S. military personnel were killed in Jordan and another was missing following an Iranian attack.



Before the strikes on Saturday, Iran's supreme leader said Washington would pay for "seeking to escalate the conflict."



Central Command said in a statement that the airstrikes began at 6 p.m. ET (2200 GMT), at President Donald Trump's direction.



"The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night," it said, without providing further details.



Iran's Mehr news agency said the U.S. carried out an attack near Sirik in southern Iran, adding that no casualties or damage to infrastructure have been reported.