U.S. Central Command announced the death of another U.S. service member on Sunday, this time from the controlled detonation of an Iranian drone in Iraq, as well as the discovery of remains likely to belong to another service member declared missing in Jordan on Friday.
“Yesterday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the passing of two U.S. service members and the missing status of one in Jordan following an Iranian attack on July 17. After a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains at the location earlier today. An examination process to verify the remains is ongoing,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
Recommended Stories
“Separately, a U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury,” it added.
The official confirmed death toll from Iranian fire in Operation Epic Fury now sits at 10, with another highly likely.
Before CENTCOM’s latest announcement, President Donald Trump said the deaths of U.S. troops in the war with Iran were “a shame” but portrayed it as a necessary sacrifice to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump said the two soldiers killed in Jordan on Friday gave their lives for a greater cause, speaking with the New York Post.
“They did it because they don’t want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said of the dead. “And it just shows you how bad [the Iranians] are,” he added.
The president also said he would be contacting the parents of the killed soldiers.
TRUMP SAYS US TROOP DEATHS ‘A SHAME’ BUT NECESSARY TO PREVENT IRANIAN NUKE
“Of course I will. I always do. Yeah,” he answered when asked.
Trump carried out retaliatory strikes on Saturday after the soldiers’ deaths, hitting Iran for the eighth consecutive night. The strikes targeted military and radar capabilities and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps units that launched the deadly attack against Jordan, though it remains to be seen how the president will respond to the death of the service member in the controlled detonation in Iraq.
