The Pentagon has confirmed that three U.S. military personnel were killed and five seriously wounded during operations against Iran — the first American casualties reported in the ongoing conflict. Several others sustained minor injuries and are being returned to duty.
The casualties occurred amid large-scale U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran following the killing of its supreme leader. CENTCOM stated: “Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. Out of respect for families, additional information, including identities of the fallen, will be withheld until next of kin are notified.”
President Donald Trump, while emphasizing successes in the operation — including the sinking of nine Iranian naval ships — did not immediately reference U.S. losses in public statements.
The news drew reactions from U.S. political leaders. UN Ambassador Mike Waltz expressed solidarity with the fallen troops, while House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for congressional action to prevent further American casualties, criticizing the war as “reckless.”
Amid the conflict, Iran has launched missile strikes at Israel and U.S. facilities in the region. CENTCOM confirmed that a reported Iranian attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln missed its target. U.S. forces also sank an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette and deployed B-2 bombers against Iran’s ballistic missile facilities.
