U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iran War Raise Pressure on Trump
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The coffins are covered with American flags. They are carried across the tarmac by service members from the fallen troops’ units. Dover Air Force Base in Delaware is the traditional site of America’s “dignified transfers” — silent ceremonies without speeches or music, and among the grimmest moments of any U.S. presidency. Donald Trump, 80, could soon return to the Dover runway!
More U.S. Soldiers killed in Iran became the grim reality over the weekend as the Iran war escalated again: two in Jordan and one in northern Iraq. Another service member remains missing after human remains were recovered but not yet identified. The latest deaths raised the confirmed U.S. military toll in the conflict to 17.
Teen Soldier Killed in Jordan
One of the fallen soldiers was Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, from Carrollton, Texas. She served with the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command and had been stationed in Ansbach, Germany, before deploying to the Middle East.
Gonzales was killed during an Iranian ballistic-missile and drone attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. In a military photograph, the teenager is seen standing in uniform in front of an American flag, her expression serious and determined.
Her comrade, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, was also killed. Feehan served with the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A photograph shared online shows him smiling alongside members of his unit.A third American service member died in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian attack drone. Another soldier suffered minor injuries.
For Trump, the renewed rise in American casualties is increasing the political pressure. In an initial reaction, he paid tribute to the fallen troops.
“It is a very sad thing,” Trump said. “We hate to see things like that happen. It happened in service of our country.”
He then repeated what has become his central justification for the war: “We will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iran War: Most Americans Oppose Iran War
But the war remains unpopular with the American public. An Economist/YouGov survey conducted in July found that 57 percent of Americans considered launching the war the wrong decision, while only 27 percent called it the right one.
Trump has offered shifting explanations for the conflict and repeatedly moved between peace diplomacy and apocalyptic threats. His administration has yet to present a clear path for ending the nearly five-month war. Rising oil and gasoline prices are adding to the public’s war fatigue.
The latest casualties also renewed questions about Pentagon transparency. According to U.S. officials, Iran carried out three additional attacks against American forces in Jordan during the week before the deadly strike. Dozens of troops were injured and several helicopters were damaged, but the Pentagon did not initially disclose the attacks, casualties or equipment losses.
Military officials cited “operational security,” arguing that detailed information could help Iran improve the accuracy of future missile and drone strikes. The Pentagon has rejected accusations that it deliberately concealed casualties.More than 400 American service members have now been injured during the Iran conflict, according to U.S. Central Command.
