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| A composite of images shows the four Army Reserve soldiers who died in Operation Epic Fury on Sunday. From left to right, Capt. Cody Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor and Sgt. Declan J. Coady. (U.S. Army) .photo/coutersy. |
The United States Department of Defense on Tuesday released the identities of four American soldiers killed in an escalating conflict involving Iran, marking some of the first U.S. military fatalities in the latest round of hostilities.
The soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) based in Des Moines. They were killed Sunday when a drone struck a U.S. military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, according to U.S. officials.
The service members identified ranged in age from 20 to 42:
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
Two additional U.S. military deaths from the same incident have been confirmed but the names have not yet been publicly released pending family notification.
Maj. Gen. Todd Erskine, commanding general of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, expressed condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers, describing the loss as a profound tragedy for the unit and the broader military community.
The deaths occurred amid an expanding U.S. campaign, referred to as Operation Epic Fury, targeting Iranian forces and affiliated groups across the Middle East. In Yemen, three additional U.S. service members were reported killed and five seriously wounded during operations against the Houthi movement, according to the United States Central Command.
U.S. officials have warned lawmakers that the confrontation could result in further American casualties as Iran intensifies retaliatory actions. Military officials say Tehran has launched hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones targeting U.S. and allied positions in the region.
The latest fatalities represent a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. President Donald Trump and senior defense officials have cautioned that risks to American forces may grow as the conflict continues and retaliatory strikes persist.
