Iraq death raises US toll to 17 amid fears missing soldier in Jordan is dead
The US death toll in the ongoing conflict with Iran has reached 17 following a fatality in Iraq and the discovery of remains in Jordan. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have reaffirmed the necessity of the military mission.
Why it matters
The rising casualty count and official statements indicate a deepening military commitment and a hardening of US political resolve in the conflict.
A heavily damaged bridge hit by a US strike in southern Iran. Photo / Amir Hossein Khorgooei, AFP
A United States service member has died during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone in northern Iraq, the military has confirmed.
The death takes to 17 the confirmed number of American military fatalities since the US and Israel launched the war with a wave of strikes on Iranian targets on February 28.
Two US service members were killed on Friday local time in Jordan, and a third service member has been missing since the attack. US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed that unidentified remains had been found at the location.
If the remains are those of the missing service member, the US death toll would rise to 18.
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