U.S. Confirms First Casualties in Escalating Conflict with Iran
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States has suffered its first casualties in the intensifying conflict with Iran, marking a significant escalation in hostilities that entered its second day Sunday. U.S. Central Command announced that three service members were killed in action and five were seriously wounded as part of “Operation Epic Fury,” with others sustaining minor injuries.
“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 in a statement posted on X. The command indicated it would withhold further details, including the identities of the fallen, pending notification of families.
The strikes, conducted in concert with Israel, have targeted Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died Friday, along with key military figures such as Ali Shamkhani, Mohammed Pakpour, Amir Nasirzadeh, and Abdolrahim Mousavi. Israel claims to have eliminated a “majority of the highest-ranking senior military officials of the Iranian security leadership.”
The operation follows stalled nuclear negotiations and represents a shift toward promoting regime change, according to analysts.
The casualties come as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed retaliation, declaring revenge a “legitimate right and duty.” Iran has already launched attacks targeting Israel, U.S. bases in the Middle East, and civilian areas in Gulf countries, including Doha, Qatar, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Reports of strikes, or explosions, have also surfaced in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Iranian attacks have resulted in deaths and injuries across the region, including at least nine fatalities in a missile strike on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. A strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran reportedly killed more than 150 people, including children, though the U.S. military is investigating the incident and Israel says it was unaware of any operations in that area.
U.S. President Donald Trump initially downplayed the casualties, stating, “We expect casualties with something like this… We have three, but we expect casualties, but in the end it’s going to be a great deal for the world.”
However, a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Sunday revealed limited public support for the strikes, with only one in four Americans approving of the action and 43 percent disapproving. Trump’s overall approval rating has also dipped, with 60 percent of Americans expressing disapproval of his presidency, according to a recent Washington Post poll.
The operation was reportedly launched despite warnings from Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the potential for U.S. troop deaths. Several former U.S. military leaders also voiced concerns prior to the operation.
Despite the escalating conflict, Trump indicated a willingness to negotiate with Iran, stating, “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk… They should have done it sooner.” He suggested the operation could continue for the next four weeks.
