U.S. Central Command announced Sunday that two American service members have died as Operation Epic Fury continues, underscoring the growing human toll of the expanding conflict involving Iran and U.S. forces in the Middle East.
According to a statement posted by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on X, one service member died Saturday night from wounds sustained during an Iranian attack on U.S. troops stationed in Saudi Arabia. The service member had been critically injured during the initial wave of Iranian strikes launched across the region earlier this month.
“Last night, a U.S. service member passed away from injuries received during the Iranian regime’s initial attacks across the Middle East,” CENTCOM said in its statement.
Officials said the service member had been seriously wounded during an attack on March 1 targeting U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The death marks the seventh American service member killed in action since Operation Epic Fury began.
CENTCOM said the identity of the fallen service member will not be publicly released until at least 24 hours after the individual’s next of kin has been notified.
“Major combat operations continue,” the command added in its update.
The conflict escalated after Operation Epic Fury began with strikes against Iran, prompting a sweeping retaliatory response from Tehran. Iranian forces fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones toward targets throughout the region.
Those attacks struck or targeted locations in Israel as well as several Gulf nations that host U.S. military personnel and installations, including Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
Later Sunday evening, CENTCOM announced a second death involving a U.S. service member stationed in Kuwait. In a separate post, officials said a National Guard soldier died during what they described as a medical emergency.
“A U.S. National Guard Soldier died in a health-related incident in Kuwait on March 6 during a medical emergency,” the command said.
Officials noted that the exact cause of death remains under review and said further information will come from the U.S. National Guard Bureau.
The announcement came just one day after President Donald Trump attended a solemn dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The event honored six American service members whose remains were returned home after they were killed during an Iranian strike in Kuwait on March 1.
The Department of War identified those six service members as Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa; Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California.
Their deaths came during the same round of Iranian strikes that targeted U.S. positions across the region in response to Operation Epic Fury.
As the conflict continues, the mounting list of casualties serves as a stark reminder of the personal cost borne by the men and women in uniform. Military operations are often discussed in terms of strategy and objectives, but each announcement from CENTCOM reflects lives lost and families forever changed.
For now, officials say major combat operations remain underway as the United States continues its campaign against Iran’s regime — even as the human toll of the conflict continues to grow.
