Donald Trump’s administration has confirmed that more U.S. service members have died in the president’s new war in the Middle East.
U.S. Central Command wrote on X on Friday that four of six crew members are now known to have died after a refueling plane went down in western Iraq, bringing the number of American fatalities so far to 11.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” the Defense Department division said. “The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.”
It follows the deaths of at least seven other service members, and around 140 U.S. casualties, since Trump launched his new conflict with Iran on Feb. 28, plunging the Middle East into chaos and sending global oil prices skyrocketing.
The president has been clear that he expects more American soldiers to die in the ongoing hostilities.
“We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” he said earlier this week. “And, sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more.”
Trump has struggled to offer a clear timeline or rationale for his campaign. He has said the conflict could end “very soon,” in four to five weeks, or last “forever,” and lately insisted the U.S. is now bombing Iran to protect U.S. interests from Iranian bombs in the event Iran is bombed.
This is a developing story.
