Three U.S. Troops Killed in Iran Operation, First American Fatalities Confirmed

Three U.S. service members were killed and five more seriously wounded as part of the ongoing American and Israeli military operation against Iran, United States Central Command announced Sunday. The deaths mark the first confirmed American combat fatalities since the strikes began.

The confirmation significantly raises the stakes in the expanding confrontation between Washington and Tehran. It comes as Iran continues targeting American military facilities across the Middle East with ballistic missiles and drones.

CENTCOM said the announcement was current as of 9:30 a.m. ET. The command did not disclose the location of the incident or specify the circumstances that led to the deaths and injuries.

“Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are in the process of being returned to duty,” CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that “major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing.”

The U.S. military said the identities of the three service members killed in action would be withheld until 24 hours after next of kin are notified.

In announcing the operation, President Donald Trump cautioned that casualties were possible. “the lives of American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war,” he said.

On Sunday, Trump described the campaign as progressing rapidly. “It’s a very violent regime, one of the most violent regimes in history. We’re doing our job not just for us but for the world. And everything is ahead of schedule,” he said.

“Things are evolving in a very positive way right now, a very positive way,” he added.

In a separate interview, Trump said “48 Iranian leaders were wiped out in one shot,” and warned Tehran against further escalation. “Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT,” he wrote on Truth Social.