The US military has confirmed that a third American service member has died in the Middle East in connection with an Iranian drone, as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to intensify.
United States Central Command, known as CENTCOM, announced the death on Sunday, saying the service member was killed in northern Iraq during operations on Saturday.
The individual, whose name has not been released, died during the “controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone,” according to the military.
CENTCOM had said on Saturday that two other US service members had died, while another was missing in Jordan.
The military said it has withheld the identities of the service members out of respect for their families.
The announcement came as the US carried out another major round of airstrikes, hitting Iranian missile depots, drones and air defense systems after vowing “swift punishment” over the deaths of two American service members the previous day.
Officials said the latest wave of strikes ended at 11.30pm on Saturday and targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, forces accused of responsibility for the deadly attack on US assets in Jordan on Friday.
“During the eighth consecutive night of US strikes, CENTCOM forces successfully hit Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The United States has announced the death of another third soldier in the Middle East as the US and Iran continue to issue strikes. Admiral Brad Cooper is in charge of CENTCOM
The person, who was not identified, was killed during a ‘controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone.’ Picture is a recent strike from CENTCOM
The agency also warned that over 50,000 soldiers have been deployed across the Middle East, describing them as ‘highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready.’
IRNA, Iranian state media, reported that Qeshm Island was among the targets. Qeshm is located in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has used to block oil as a negotiating tactic. Explosions were also reported in Bandar Abbas, an Iranian city also near the Strait and near the city of Sirik.
Meanwhile, IRGC-affiliated news station Tasnim reported that Iran had struck US assets in Kuwait in retaliation for the ongoing strikes.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it targeted two US bases: Camp Buehring and the Ali Al Salem Air Base.
The Guards Corps claimed it carried out ‘large-scale attacks with kamikaze drones’ against the bases, according to a statement cited by state media.
Renewed military action in the region has claimed the lives of additional American soldiers.
Iranian strikes hit the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on Friday. In addition to the two fatalities, one service member is missing in action, and four others were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals in the attack. The troops have since been discharged, CENTCOM said in a statement on Saturday.
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President Donald Trump told NewsNation that the soldiers’ deaths were a ‘very sad thing.’
The US devastated Iranian missile depots, drones and air defenses in the latest barrage of airstrikes after promising ‘swift punishment’ for the deaths of two American service members
‘We hate to see it happen. It’s in service to our country,’ he added, before reiterating his goal of ‘never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.’
The deaths were the 15th and 16th among US service members since the war with Iran began in February, with more than 430 others wounded.
Iran has taunted the US with chilling billboards that have fueled conspiracy theories about Senator Lindsey Graham’s death and hinted at a possible assassination plot against President Trump.
A massive red billboard popped up in Valiasr Square in Tehran this week, with an eerie message reading: ‘Who is D nexT one? #lindseygraham.’
It appeared to hint that Trump, 80, is Tehran’s next target, as the slogan in English had the unusual capitalization of the letters ‘D’ and ‘T’ appearing to reference the 47th US President.
In Enghelab Square, in central Tehran, a gigantic corner billboard displayed an image of the US President, his body dressed in a suit peeking out from an open black coffin. Written underneath, in graffiti-style in Persian and English, were the words: ‘We will kill Trump.’
These political billboards are the latest in a series targeting the US President. Earlier this week, a mural with individual, framed images of Trump, his children and Melania set above US flag-draped coffins and a backdrop of the White House, was unveiled in Palestine Square in Iran.
Billboards have popped up around Tehran, hinting at a Trump assassination plan
One billboard showed Trump in a coffin
The timing coincided with American missiles attacking bridges, railways and water facilities in Iran.
The newest billboards have also fueled conspiracy theories that the Middle Eastern country may have been involved in Graham’s mysterious death at the age of 71 last weekend, as the politician was in Ukraine just days before, leading people to speculate Tehran may have orchestrated it.
There has been no confirmation or evidence suggesting Iran had anything to do with the senator’s death.
