The US and Iran engaged in a quickening series of tit-for-tat attacks, causing fresh chaos in the Middle East as the US military announced the death of a third US troop in the past two days.

A US service member in northern Iraq was killed on July 18 while trying to conduct a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian one-way attack drone, US Central Command said in a social media post. A second service member was wounded in that attempt.

On July 17, two US troops were killed in Jordan in an attack the US ascribed to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. That attack also wounded four others and left one missing.

The death on July 18 brings the total US toll to 17 since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on Feb 28. Central Command also said it found unidentified remains in Jordan and it was investigating to determine if it was the missing service member.

A week of back-and-forth strikes has expanded beyond strictly military targets to include bridges, utilities and port facilities, suggesting little prospect of a return to the fragile ceasefire signed in June.

Adding to the pessimism, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview posted on his Telegram channel on July 19 that certain demands related to the country’s nuclear efforts may remain “unresolvable”.

Central Command described the recent American strikes as seeking to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and “swiftly punish” IRGC forces. 

In the most recent round of strikes, US forces hit Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, as well as southern cities including Shadegan, Sirik and Hajiabad, Iranian media reported. There were no immediate details on casualties or damage.

Kuwait again bore the brunt of Iran’s retaliation, after a power and w...