US President Donald Trump announced that three American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during a recent attack on Iran by the US and Israel. The deaths occurred amid a major offensive against Iran, which could lead to more losses in the coming weeks, according to Trump.
Trump said the fallen soldiers were “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.” He promised to avenge their deaths and warned that there could be more casualties before the operation ends. The US military has described the situation as “fluid” and will not disclose the identities of the killed service members until 24 hours after their families are notified.
The attack on Iran was in response to joint strikes by the US and Israel, which targeted Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders. Iranian counterattacks have struck US bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The US military denied claims that its aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was hit with ballistic missiles.
Trump had built up a large US military presence in the Middle East before the strikes, with the arrival of several warships from the Caribbean Sea. This includes the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, which was part of a raid on Venezuela that claimed no American lives but left seven troops injured.
The operation marks Trump’s latest military move during his second term, following previous strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria and Nigeria.
Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/military-says-3-u-s-troops-killed-and-5-others-seriously-wounded-during-iran-attacks