A service member seriously wounded during an attack on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1 has died, U.S. Central Command announced Sunday.
“Last night, a U.S. service member passed away from injuries received during the Iranian regime’s initial attacks across the Middle East,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
The service member’s identity was not released and will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin is notified, per Defense Department policy.
Seven service members have been killed in action so far during Operation Epic Fury, which began on Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian leaders.
Iran has unleashed retaliatory strikes at U.S. military installations and civilian infrastructure across the Middle East amid ongoing bombardment by U.S. and Israeli forces.
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Six soldiers were killed when an Iranian one-way attack drone evaded U.S. air defenses on March 1 and struck a makeshift operations center at a civilian port in Kuwait.
The bodies of the six fallen soldiers returned to the U.S. at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Saturday as President Donald Trump and other top U.S. officials attended the dignified transfer of the troops’ remains.
The slain soldiers were identified as Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California.
CENTCOM announced Monday that 18 troops had been wounded so far.
The U.S. and Israel have killed 940 people in Iran, according to NBC News, citing Iranian state media.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
J.D. Simkins is Editor-in-Chief of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
