A seventh U.S. servicemember has been killed in the Iran war, officials say.
“Last night, a U.S. service member passed away from injuries received during the Iranian regime’s initial attacks across the Middle East,” US Central Command said on X. “The service member was seriously wounded at the scene of an attack on U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 1.”
The servicemember will not be named until their next of kin have been informed.
President Donald Trump on Saturday joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base at the dignified transfer for the other six U.S. soldiers killed in the war in the Middle East.
The dignified transfer, a ceremony that returns the remains of U.S. service members killed in action, is regarded as one of the most solemn responsibilities of any commander in chief. During his first term, Trump said witnessing the transfer was “the toughest thing I have to do” as president.
“It’s a very sad day,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Florida later Saturday afternoon, saying that he was “glad we paid our respects.”
He said the relatives of the deceased are “great people, great parents, wives, family” and said that the “parents were so proud.”
Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance attended the transfer, accompanied by their spouses. A number of senior administration officials were present, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wrote in a social media post on Friday of “an unbreakable spirit to honor their memory and the resolve they embodied.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence were also present.
Also present for the solemn occasion were governors and senators from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Florida.
Those killed in action were Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.
As is protocol, Trump – wearing a blue suit, red tie and a white USA hat – did not speak during the transfer. The president saluted as each flag-draped transfer case was carried from the military aircraft to waiting transfer vehicles, which would transport them to a mortuary facility to prepare them for their final resting place.
The families remained largely silent as they observed the ritual, which lasted approximately half an hour. The six members of the Army Reserve, who were killed by a drone strike at a command centre in Kuwait, were all from the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.
They died just one day after the U.S. and Israel initiated their military campaign against Iran.
“These soldiers engaged in the most noble mission: protecting their fellow Americans and keeping our homeland secure,” Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran, said earlier this week after the six were identified. “Our nation owes them an incredible debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.”
