The U.S. Department of Defense on Tuesday identified four of the six U.S. soldiers who died Sunday during a drone attack on a U.S. base in Kuwait. Donald Trump said there will “probably be more” service members killed “before it’s over.”
The soldiers were identified as Captain Cody Khork, 35; Sergeant Nicole Amor, 39 years old; Sergeant Declan Coady, 20; and Sergeant Noah Tietjens, 42.
The US Army Reserve said it would investigate the incident.
In a video statement Sunday, Trump called the slain service members “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the just mission for which they gave their lives.”
“We pray for the full recovery of the injured and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” he said. “And unfortunately, there will probably be more before it’s over. That’s the way it is, there will probably be more, but we’ll do our best when that’s not the case.”
Since Saturday, US and Israeli forces have carried out large-scale attacks across Iran, including the attack on the compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on Saturday. Iran has responded with retaliatory attacks, launching missiles aimed at Israel and US military facilities in the region, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent emergency service, at least 787 people have died in Iran since Saturday. In Israel, authorities said at least 10 people had died.
On Tuesday, the US State Department announced a series of charter flights for Americans wishing to leave countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
In a statement, a department spokesperson said the government has helped more than 9,000 Americans leave the Middle East and has received requests for assistance from another 3,000 citizens seeking to return to the United States.
“Commercial aviation options remain available in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt, and the department is actively helping U.S. citizens book those tickets.
“For those in countries lacking commercial aviation availability, the department is facilitating travel to third countries as conditions permit. That includes increasing ground transportation options for U.S. citizens wishing to depart Israel,” the statement said.
