Three US service members have been killed in action since the US launched military strikes against Iran.
Iran fired missiles and drones at regional US bases, Israel and Gulf states in retaliation for airstrikes on Tehran that killed the Supreme Leader.
U.S. Central Command confirmed on Sunday that three US service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury.
“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,” it confirmed.
“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.”
Three US service members have been killed in action since the US launched military strikes against Iran.
Iran fired missiles and drones at regional US bases, Israel and Gulf states in retaliation for airstrikes on Tehran that killed the Supreme Leader.
U.S. Central Command confirmed on Sunday that three US service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury.
“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,” it confirmed.
“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.”
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A third wave of Iranian attacks have hit the Gulf states this afternoon.
A missile strike has reportedly been carried out on Camp de la Paix base, a French naval base in Abu Dhabi, according to reports.
Multiple explosions were heard in northeast and east Tehran on Sunday evening as Israeli and American strikes on the capital continued into the second day of war.
“The sound of several explosions was heard in northeast and east Tehran,” Iranian media reported.
Earlier on Sunday, residents reported “massive” explosions across multiple areas of Tehran including near Azadi Stadium, Mehrabad Airport, Milad Tower, Vanak Square, Sepah Square, Shariati Street, Saadatabad and the Evin area.
Social media footage showed columns of smoke rising from several locations.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) claimed to have struck three American and British oil tankers that are “currently burning” in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
“In continuation of attacks on hostile enemy maritime targets, three violating tankers from the United States and Britain in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz were hit by missiles and are burning,” the IRGC said.
Iran provided no evidence of the attacks and there has been no confirmation from the US or UK governments.
The IRGC said the seventh and eighth waves of attacks were conducted on Sunday morning “towards American-Zionist targets with successive missile launches and extensive drone deployment”.
It claimed Ali Al Salem Naval Base in Kuwait was “completely out of operation” and three naval infrastructure facilities of Mohammad Al-Ahmad in Kuwait “were destroyed.”
The US naval base at Mina Salman port in Bahrain was hit by four drones, causing “severe damage to command and support centers,” the IRGC said.
“The location of American military forces in Bahrain was hit with two ballistic missiles, and other American bases in the region were hit in successive attacks, which have resulted in the killing and wounding of 560 American military personnel so far,” the statement said.
Three dead, five wounded. That is the first confirmed US casualty count from Donald Trump’s decision to launch a war against Iran.
Americans still shudder at the grim, steadily rising tolls that accompanied their previous efforts at regime change in the Middle East.
There are immediate questions: where are the wounded five? Have they been evacuated and can they receive the required medical care?
But confirmation that US troops lost their lives in the first 24 hours of the conflict will deepen concern about an operation whose goals have not been clearly outlined to the US public or to Congress.
Israeli media reports, as yet unconfirmed, claim that Mr Trump has already put forward a ceasefire proposal to the Iranian regime – now, of course, under new leadership.
The president’s preference for shows of strength via air and sea is intended to spare the lives of US soldiers, and avoid getting dragged into costly, bloody ground invasions.
Low levels of casualties he should be able to handle – the president warned that American “heroes” might lose their lives as he announced the first strikes.
But if the toll ticks up over the coming days, weeks or even months, expect the volume to increase – dramatically – from those who wonder what purpose such loss of life is serving.
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