Pentagon names first US troops killed in Iran war after Trump warned 'there will likely be more' deaths
Four of the six US soldiers who died in a drone attack over the weekend in Kuwait have been named by the Pentagon.
On Sunday (March 1), Iran carried out an attack on a US base using an 'unmanned aircraft system'. Reportedly, they'd been working in a makeshift office space at the time of the attack at Port Shuaiba.
Initially, it was said that three service members had died as a result of the strike, but an additional soldier sadly succumbed to their injuries, and two more bodies were later found in the rubble of the blast.
Now the Pentagon has named some of those who lost their lives in the ongoing conflict between the US (which has teamed up with Israel) and Iran.
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All four were US Army Reserve soldiers and have identified by the US military as Capt Cody Khork, 35, Sgt Noah Tietjens, 42, Sgt Nicole Amor, 39, and Sgt Declan Coady, 20.
Khrok had been deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay and Poland previously, while Amor had been sent to Kuwait and Iraq.
Tietjens had been deployed to Kuwait twice before. All three were decorated service members, says BBC News.
As for 20-year-old Coady, he has been posthumously promoted from specialist by the US military.
The other two soldiers are yet to be named publicly by the Trump administration.
A press release shared to the US Army Reserve website with a statement from Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General US Army Reserve Command, reads: "We honor our fallen Heroes, who served fearlessly and selflessly in defense of our nation. Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten.
"On behalf of the Army Reserve, we express our heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones. We remain steadfast in our commitment to honoring the legacy of our fallen and supporting their teammates and families during this difficult time."
Today (March 4) marks the fifth day of war between the US, Israel, and Iran.
The latest attacks followed earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Republic across the Gulf region.
Iranian state television reported explosions around Tehran as dawn broke, while Israel said its air defences were activated due to incoming missile fire from Iran.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday it conducted a series of strikes across Iran’s capital targeting its security forces.
It said it hit buildings associated with the Basij, the all-volunteer force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard which conducted the bloody crackdown on protesters in January that killed thousands and saw tens of thousands detained in the country.
The Israeli military also said it hit buildings associated with Iran’s internal security command, which also has suppressed demonstrations in the past.
Iran strikes: what you need to know
Why are the US and Israel attacking Iran?
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday (28 February) that the US and Israel have started 'major combat operations' in Iran after explosions were heard in multiple cities across the country.
Following a significant buildup of US forces in the region in recent weeks, Trump declared in a video posted on Truth Social that 'we are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground'.
Alongside hundreds of civilian casualties, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed dead following Israeli missile strikes around Tehran.
According to Trump, the aim of the attacks was to 'ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon'.
This has come after weeks of Trump threatening military action in Iran if the Middle Eastern country did not agree to a new deal over its nuclear programme. However, Iran has insisted repeatedly that its nuclear activities are 'entirely peaceful'.
What areas of the Middle East have been affected?
In retaliation to the US and Israeli strikes, Iran launched strikes of its own on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, which include Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Several videos have been posted on social media from tourists and civilians that show the damage inflicted across these areas from missile and drone strikes.
Meanwhile, after Lebanon's Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah fired missiles at the Israeli city of Haifa, Israel responded with its own strikes.
On Tuesday (3 March), Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz promised IDF troops on the ground would 'advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon in order to prevent fire on Israeli border communities'.
Niamh Shackleton