A visibly solemn President Trump arrived at Dover Air Force Base with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and other senior officials to pay tribute to four U.S. service members killed in recent Iranian attacks, as the American death toll continues to rise.
The president stood with grieving Gold Star families during the dignified transfer of the fallen troops’ remains, pledging that the nation would never forget the service and sacrifice of its “heroes.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he intended to honor the soldiers who died, then added that “all of them said very strongly that we can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
“So we’re going to honor them… for me it’s one of the hardest things to do as President but it has to be done,” Trump said. “All I’m gonna say [to families] is we love you, we love your child.”
The president also pointed to an unnamed poll, claiming that although Americans are concerned about rising gasoline prices, they are not opposed to the war.
A White House official said Trump met privately with the families of the fallen service members before the dignified transfer ceremony began.
The solemn military ritual is among the most painful responsibilities faced by any commander-in-chief. It was the third such ceremony Trump has attended since launching the war in Iran in February.
The dignified transfer included two U.S. Army soldiers who were killed in devastating Iranian missile and drone strikes in Jordan.
A third service member, believed to be the soldier missing in the wake of the deadly Jordan assault, will also be brought home during the emotional ceremony.
A fourth soldier killed in Iraq by a detonating Iranian drone will also be returned to their family.
A somber President Trump arrived at Dover Air Force Base to honor four US service members killed in recent Iranian strikes as the death tally grows
Trump salutes as a US Army carry team carries the flag-draped transfer case containing the remains of 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, White House aide Natalie Harp, and President Trump attend a dignified transfer solemn event for US service members killed during operations in the Middle East, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware
Among those being brought home is Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Spring Lake, North Carolina, who lost his life in the attack in Iraq.
The Pentagon also confirmed the solemn return of Angel Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York – the soldier who went missing following the strikes in Jordan and is now believed to be deceased.
Meanwhile, the Defense Department identified two other young service members killed in the Jordan assault as Isabella Gonzales, just 19, of Carrollton, Texas, and Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii.
Trump told reporters Sunday that the US was striking Iran ‘in honor’ of the fallen troops.
Eighteen American service members have now made the ultimate sacrifice since the war erupted on Feb. 28.
But as the American body count climbs, a fragile interim truce aimed at ending the hostilities has collapsed – prompting a wave of fierce US retaliatory strikes across the region.
Taking an unflinching stance on Monday, Trump delivered a stern warning to Tehran: ‘They will pay for that killing many times over!’
The commander-in-chief vowed that every single American life taken by Iran would be met with heavy retribution, making his solemn Dover visit a stark reminder of the war’s rising human cost.
Carried solemnly from the transport aircraft, flag-draped transfer cases bearing the fallen soldiers are moved into waiting vehicles before being brought to the base mortuary facility, where the fallen heroes are prepared for their final journey home
Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, was one of three US service members killed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on Friday
Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, and First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, were killed when Iranian forces attacked the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on Friday
Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, a 30-year-old father from North Carolina, was killed in Iraq during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone
Carried solemnly from the transport aircraft, flag-draped transfer cases bearing the fallen soldiers are moved into waiting vehicles before being brought to the base mortuary facility, where the fallen heroes are prepared for their final journey home.
The heartbreak of the ceremony is something the President knows all too well.
Having previously called the solemn duty ‘the toughest thing I have to do’ during his first term in office, Trump has already attended two dignified transfers since this war erupted – most recently making the trip in March.
With the US midterm elections approaching in the fall, polls have pointed to the unpopularity of the war among Americans, who have felt the pain of pricier gas and seen new casualties in a conflict that weeks ago seemed to be winding down.
As Secretary of War Pete Hegseth then petitioned Congress to approve the increased funding on Tuesday, he was berated by protesters.
‘Your hands are bloody,’ one woman said as US Capitol police dragged her from the room.
Hegseth resumed talking, only to be interrupted again a few seconds later.
‘Stop bombing our children in Iran and Palestine – this is illegal,’ a second woman stood and shouted.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he will honor the soldiers who lost their lives – before saying that ‘all of them said very strongly that we can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon’
U.S. Capitol Police remove a protester from the Tuesday hearing
An Iranian missile was launched on Tuesday
Both held signs saying in all caps, ‘No war in Iran.’
Meanwhile overseas, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict seeking to revamp diplomacy where he met Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In a statement, Sharif expressed deep concern over the recent US-Iran escalation, and urged all sides to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further destabilize the region.
