A U.S. service member has died from injuries sustained in an Iranian strike on troops in Saudi Arabia, U.S. Central Command said, bringing the death toll among American troops in the Iran war to seven.
The seventh death comes only one day after President Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer of the remains of the first Army reservists killed in the fighting. The six soldiers were later identified as Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida, Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa, and Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California. When asked by reporters if he expected to attend more dignified transfers, Trump said “sure, I hate to. But it’s a part of war, isn’t it?” The president and other leaders have previously signaled they expect more casualties, and Trump last week said there would “likely be more before it ends.”
The latest American death comes the same day Israel confirmed two soldiers were killed while fighting in southern Lebanon, marking the country’s first military deaths since the conflict began. Israel began operations in the country after Hezbollah, a militant group allied with Iran, launched missiles into Israel after the country’s joint campaign of air strikes alongside the U.S. against Iran began last Saturday. At least 11 people have died in Israel as a result of Iranian retaliatory strikes as of Sunday.
