Three American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran, U.S. Central Command said Sunday, marking the first confirmed American combat deaths in the rapidly expanding conflict.
In a statement posted on X, Central Command said additional troops sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are being treated and prepared to return to duty.
“Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” the command said, adding that the situation remains fluid. Officials declined to release the identities of the fallen service members, saying notification of next of kin must be completed before further details are disclosed.
The announcement came on the second day of intensified U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets ordered by President Donald Trump, including operations that Iranian state media say killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The deaths represent the first American combat-related fatalities since Trump returned to office and authorized major operations against Iran. Previous U.S. strikes in the region over the past year did not result in American casualties.
Trump had warned Saturday that losses were possible.
“My administration has taken every possible step to minimize the risk to U.S. personnel in the region,” Trump said in remarks shortly after the strikes began. “Even so … the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war.”
The Pentagon has not disclosed where the troops were killed or the precise circumstances of the attack. Iranian forces have launched waves of missiles and drones targeting U.S. bases and allied facilities across the Middle East in retaliation for the strikes on Iranian leadership and military infrastructure.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it carried out coordinated attacks on U.S. military installations throughout the region. Explosions were reported near bases and infrastructure in several Gulf nations, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Iranian state media claimed that ballistic missiles targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. U.S. officials said the vessel was not struck and that the missiles did not come close to hitting it.
Black smoke was seen rising near Erbil International Airport in northern Iraq after an apparent strike near facilities used by U.S. forces, though officials have not confirmed the extent of damage.
Regional authorities reported intercepted missiles and drone attacks, with falling debris causing injuries and structural damage in some areas. An oil tanker off the coast of Oman was also reported hit amid the escalation.
The conflict has widened dramatically following the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that Iranian media say killed Khamenei and other senior leaders. Iranian outlets also reported the death of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the strikes, though independent confirmation has been limited.
Trump has defended the military action as necessary to dismantle Iran’s leadership and military capabilities, saying the United States would respond forcefully to any retaliation.
“Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard,” Trump wrote on social media Sunday. “We will respond with a force that has never been seen before.”
A U.S. official familiar with military planning said the operation is expected to continue for weeks, though the White House has not publicly outlined a timeline.
Central Command said combat operations remain underway and that efforts are continuing to protect U.S. personnel and assets in the region.
The Pentagon has not indicated whether additional troop deployments are planned.
The deaths of the three service members are likely to intensify scrutiny of the expanding military campaign and its long-term objectives. Lawmakers in Washington have begun calling for briefings on the scope of operations and the administration’s strategy moving forward.
For now, officials say the priority is stabilizing the situation and safeguarding American forces amid continued missile and drone attacks.
Nypost/Theindependent/Dailymail/Reuters
