U.S. identifies 2 troops killed in Iran war weekend attack

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - The Pentagon has identified two U.S. service members killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks on a military base in Jordan, as the number of American troops killed since the start of the war with Iran has climbed to 17.

The Department of Defense said 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, were killed in Friday’s attack. Military officials also recovered unidentified remains at the scene, which are still undergoing identification.

President Donald Trump offered condolences to the families of the fallen service members on Sunday, calling them “great patriots.”

“We feel very badly, but you know those great people, those great patriots who are out there fighting, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Iran has been very, very badly damaged” he said.

Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono also paid tribute to Feehan.

Today, my thoughts and aloha are with 1st Lt Feehan’s family, and the families of all the brave servicemembers killed and injured in this war," she said in a statement. “As we honor their service and sacrifice, I remain committed to doing everything in my power to bring an end to this war.”

In response to the attack, U.S. Central Command launched new airstrikes against Iranian Revolutionary Guard targets. The strikes were intended to “swiftly punish” Iran and further degrade its military capabilities, according to CENTCOM.

Separately, the military announced that another U.S. service member was killed Saturday in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone. Officials said the incident was not combat-related, but brought the total number of U.S. military deaths in the war to 17.

Despite the latest escalation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States remains open to a diplomatic resolution if Iran is willing to negotiate.

“What I will say is that the United States always remains open to a diplomatic solution,” Rubio said. “We’ve tried multiple times with Iran, and we’ll continue to try. If that door opens, we’ll be happy to see it open.”

Meanwhile, Trump has signaled he wants Congress to increase economic pressure on Tehran by expanding pending Russia sanctions legislation to include new sanctions targeting Iran.