Pentagon confirms three U.S. troops killed as Iran conflict escalates

The Pentagon confirmed Sunday that three U.S. service members have been killed and five are seriously wounded in Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-named mission striking targets in Iran, marking the first American combat deaths of the rapidly widening campaign. “Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury,” U.S. Central Command said in a social media statement, reported by CBS News, NBC News and The New York Times.

The casualties came after a joint U.S.-Israeli assault that multiple outlets reported killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and scores of senior officials. Iran state media and Iran International reported that four other senior commanders were killed — Mohammad Pakpour, Ali Shamkhani, Abdolrahim Mousavi and Aziz Nasirzadeh — while CBS News said Khamenei died alongside “about 40 other senior members” of the regime. CBS also reported an anonymous source saying intelligence gathered by the CIA and shared with Israeli counterparts helped identify targets.

Locations and causes for the U.S. casualties remain unclear. Central Command did not disclose where the troops were killed, and The New York Times, citing two military officials, reported that an Army base housing American troops in Kuwait was among bases struck in retaliatory Iranian attacks. The New York Times also noted that the involvement of shrapnel among injuries could imply the wounds resulted from an Iranian strike, a detail that has not been confirmed by Pentagon authorities. Central Command later said several other troops sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and were in the process of being returned to duty, according to the Times.

Iran’s military launched widespread counterstrikes across the region, firing missiles and drones toward Israel and other Middle Eastern countries and targeting ships at sea, CBS News and Iran International reported. NBC News said air-raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv as Israeli forces worked to intercept incoming missiles. Israeli medics reported at least eight people were killed in a blast near Jerusalem, CBS reported. Outside the immediate theater, Pakistani authorities said six people died after hundreds of protesters stormed the U.S. consulate in Karachi, CBS reported.

President Donald J. Trump posted a video asserting the U.S. had begun “major combat operations in Iran,” and ABC News quoted him saying, “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.” ABC also reported Trump saying, “They can never have a nuclear weapon.” CBS News headlined that Trump declared the operation “ahead of schedule.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told audiences that Israel and the United States “embarked on an operation to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran,” ABC reported. Three U.S. officials told ABC the campaign could last several days and would target IRGC sites, intelligence assets, government buildings and defense installations.

Beyond battlefield losses, the sudden spike in casualties and mass movements of civilians present immediate public health and community challenges. Hospitals and emergency services in affected countries face unpredictable surges; mass funerals and protests increase risks of further injuries, psychosocial trauma and strain on trauma care systems. In the United States, the first combat deaths will intensify pressure on military medical evacuation capacity, Department of Veterans Affairs planning, and congressional oversight of care for survivors and families.

Officials in Washington and Tehran continue to issue conflicting tallies. Central Command casualty figures and state media lists of Iranian leaders killed are confirmed reports; other details including exact attack locations, the total number of Iranian officials killed, and the CIA’s role remain based on anonymous or state-sourced accounts and require further verification. U.S. and Iranian authorities are expected to provide additional updates as the campaign proceeds.