Seven U.S. service members have been killed in the war with Iran, the U.S. military said.
The service member died Saturday night after they were seriously injured during an attack on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Sunday.
“This is the seventh service member killed in action during Operation Epic Fury,” the statement added.
The slain service member has not been publicly identified. Officials said their identity would be shared 24 hours after their next of kin are notified.
News of the service member’s death comes one day after President Donald Trump joined the grieving families of the first six U.S. soldiers killed in the war for their dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
The soldiers killed in action were identified as Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.
The six members of the Army Reserve were killed by a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait. The group was all from the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.
They died just one day after the U.S. and Israel launched their joint military campaign against Iran.
All seven American casualties from the war in Iran were Army soldiers, with the first six being Army reservists, a source told the Associated Press.
The death toll continues to rise in the war. At least 1,230 people killed in Iran, more than 300 in Lebanon and about a dozen in Israel have been killed, according to the Associated Press.
Trump has previously said there will likely be more U.S. casualties in the war, and on Saturday, when asked if he thought he would attend more dignified transfers, Trump said: “I’m sure. I hate to…but it’s part of war.”
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Trump spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his hesitation to grant the U.S. access to its airbases amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The prime minister’s office said the two leaders discussed military cooperation between the two countries through the use of RAF bases.
“The Prime Minister also shared his heartfelt condolences with President Trump and the American people following the deaths of six U.S. soldiers,” a spokesperson said, adding: “They looked forward to speaking again soon.”
The seemingly productive phone call came a day after Trump attacked the prime minister in a post on his Truth Social, accusing Starmer of trying to “join wars after we’ve already won,” amid reports that Britian was preparing naval assets for possible deployment.
“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote. “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”
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