American military personnel discovered human remains near a Jordanian air base where Iranian missiles struck Friday, U.S. Central Command announced Sunday. The discovery marks a grim turn in the escalating toll from Tehran's direct attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East.
The remains were located following an extensive search of Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, which hosts American troops and fighter jets. Officials said verification of the remains is ongoing, but the finding brings the total number of U.S. service member deaths stemming from the Iranian operation to 18.
At least two Iranian ballistic missiles struck the installation Friday. A second service member was also wounded in the attack and received treatment for minor injuries.
The death toll extends beyond the base strike itself. On Saturday, another American service member was killed in northern Iraq when unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone detonated during a controlled demolition operation.
CENTCOM declined to release additional details at this time, citing the need to notify families first. The military command said it was withholding identities and other information "out of respect for the families during the notification process."
Author James Rodriguez: "The mounting casualties from this weekend's exchanges underscore how quickly tensions in the region can spiral into real consequences for deployed personnel."
Comments