The United States has announced its first casualties in the escalating war with Iran, which entered its second day on Sunday.
“Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury,” U.S. Central Command, the combatant command that’s responsible for military operations in the Middle East, said in a post on X.
The United States has announced its first casualties in the escalating war with Iran, which entered its second day on Sunday.
“Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury,” U.S. Central Command, the combatant command that’s responsible for military operations in the Middle East, said in a post on X.
“Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” Centcom said. “The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.”
In response to a request for more details on the circumstances surrounding the casualties, Centcom told Foreign Policy that it had no additional information to share at this time. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
U.S. President Donald Trump has not commented on the casualties so far, though he was active on Truth Social on Sunday morning. But in remarks to a Fox News reporter prior to the announcement of the first U.S. casualties, Trump said the joint military operation with Israel is “moving along rapidly” and that “nobody can believe the success we’re having.” The operation has killed a number of Iranian leaders so far, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials.
When asked whether he’s concerned about Iran moving to close the Strait of Hormuz and the impact of the war on oil prices, Trump said, “I’m not concerned about anything … I just do what’s right” and “at the end, it works out.”
Trump warned on Saturday about the possibility of U.S. casualties in a video announcing the operation. “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost,” Trump said.
The casualties could come at a political cost for Trump, particularly given that polling prior to the operation suggested that the vast majority of Americans were not especially enthusiastic about the prospect of a U.S. attack on Iran. In the lead-up to the operation, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reportedly warned Trump that strikes against Iran would carry significant risks—including the possibility of U.S. troops being killed. Foreign Policy also spoke with four former U.S. military leaders ahead of the operation who raised concerns about the risks.
In previous exchanges of fire with Iran under Trump, including during his first term after the strike that killed Qassem Suleimani and last June amid the 12-day war, no U.S. troops were killed.
This story is developing and will continue to be updated.
