Three U.S. soldiers killed, five wounded as Iran retaliates; Trump warns of more losses
Three American service members were killed and five others seriously wounded during U.S. attacks on Iran, the military said Sunday, marking the first American casualties in a major offensive that President Donald Trump warned could bring further losses in the coming weeks.
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U.S. Central Command announced the deaths in a post on X but did not say when or where they occurred as Iran strikes back after joint U.S.-Israeli attacks. The command said several other troops suffered minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and were expected to return to duty. It described the situation as fluid and said it would withhold the identities of the fallen for 24 hours after next-of-kin notifications.
The three service members who died were U.S. Army soldiers deployed to Kuwait with a unit overseeing supplies and logistics, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly. The development was first reported by NBC News and The Washington Post.
“We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform Sunday afternoon. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.” He called those killed “true American patriots” and vowed the United States would avenge their deaths.
In a separate phone interview with the Daily Mail on Sunday, Trump called the dead “great people” and said further casualties were possible as operations continue. He told the outlet he believes the conflict could last “four weeks or so,” echoing a video address released early Saturday in which he warned that “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost” as the campaign unfolds.
The American deaths come as Iran answers the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior figures. Iranian counterattacks have targeted U.S. facilities in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in recent days, raising the risk of a broader regional conflict.
The U.S. military on Sunday denied Iranian claims that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was struck by ballistic missiles. In a post on X, Central Command said the “missiles launched didn’t even come close.” Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has threatened to launch its “most intense offensive operation” targeting Israeli and American military installations.
Before the current escalation, the United States built up its largest military presence in the Middle East in decades. The arrival of the Lincoln and three accompanying guided-missile destroyers at the end of January increased the number of warships in the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and four destroyers were later dispatched from the Caribbean Sea to join the buildup.
U.S. officials have not provided a timeline for how long operations could last or detailed next steps. Sunday’s announcement underscores both the scope of the campaign and the risks U.S. forces face as Iran and its proxies respond across multiple fronts.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
