The U.S. Central Command said Sunday that three U.S. service members were killed in action during Operation Epic Fury and another five were seriously wounded.
CENTCOM added that several other service members sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions.
“Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” CENTCOM said in an X post. “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.”
In the joint attacks on Iran dubbed Operation Epic Fury, Israel had targeted Iranian leaders, while the U.S. had gone after Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a strike on the first day of the operation.
Since the joint U.S.-Israel operation, Iran has launched counterattacks in the region, particularly targeting U.S. military operations in the area.
A video published Sunday showed an Iranian one-way attack drone striking the U.S. Army’s Camp Buehring in Kuwait. The drone exploded into a tank, and there have been no reports of casualties.
Other clips show smoke clouds over Erbil, Iraq, where a portion of U.S. forces are based.
Operation Epic Fury and President Donald Trump’s call for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic mark the start of a new U.S. intervention in the Middle East.
NEW IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER TO BE CHOSEN IN ‘ONE OR TWO DAYS’ AFTER KHAMENEI KILLED
Trump released a video following the attack and recognized the cost of an attack in the Middle East, with U.S. personnel and bases likely targets of Iranian retaliation.
“We may have casualties — that often happens in war — but we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission,” Trump said. “[Iran] attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland.”Iranian forces have already begun retaliation asIsrael suffered missileand drone strikes, one of which leveled a residential home leaving nine people dead and 20 missing.
