3 U.S. Service Members Killed in Action as Iranian Regime Expands Regional Assault

Latest Developments

U.S. Announces Casualties: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that three U.S. service members were killed in action as of 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 1 during ongoing operations against Iran. Five additional U.S. service members were seriously wounded, according to the statement, while “several others” received shrapnel injuries and concussions. Further details surrounding the circumstances were withheld by CENTCOM until next of kin were notified.
Iranian Missile Attacks Cause Widespread Damage: At least nine people were killed and at least 27 injured on March 1 when an Iranian ballistic missile impacted the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates all confirmed that their air defenses have intercepted a combined hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones targeting their countries. CENTCOM stated that Iran had attacked multiple civilian sites across the region, including Dubai International Airport, Kuwait International Airport, the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, and Iraq’s Erbil International Airport. Meanwhile, Oman’s state news agency reported that Iranian explosive drones had targeted the Duqm commercial port, and Qatari officials said Iran had launched 65 missiles and 12 drones at the emirate as of February 28.
Gulf States Condemn Iran: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi condemned Iran’s attacks on Duqm port and an oil tanker off its coast, in addition to strikes on other GCC states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Budaiwi stated that “the treacherous military operations launched by Iran against the GCC countries reflect its intentions towards the GCC countries and the region in general.” Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement condemning the strikes in Oman and affirmed its “readiness to place all its capabilities at Oman’s disposal in support of any measures it may undertake, and warns of the serious consequences of Iran’s continued violations of states’ sovereignty.” To cushion possible negative effects from the war on the oil market, OPEC+ agreed on March 1 to a 206,000-barrel-per-day increase in oil output for April.

FDD Expert Response

“Our condolences go out to the many family members affected by these deaths and injuries. All military operations — whether in combat or as an exercise — risk loss of life. This ongoing operation is especially challenging as U.S. forces are located in close proximity to Iranian launch sites and forces.” — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Senior Fellow and Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology

“The venom and frequency with which the Islamist Iranian regime has been hitting its friends in the Gulf, such as Oman and Qatar, and the neutral governments, the UAE and Kuwait, has been equal to that with which it’s been hitting its enemy, Israel. Such behavior suggests that the regime has been gravely wounded, that it has been lonely and isolated for a long time, and that it can’t tell the difference between friend and foe. It also might be a sign of desperation and the last gasp on its deathbed.” — Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Research Fellow

“Iran is now acting on decades of threats to target its Arab neighbors when cornered. Tehran is deliberately imposing the costs of war on the Gulf states and hitting them where it hurts the most. Iran’s strategy is to pressure the Gulf monarchies to force Washington to de-escalate. But this strategy could backfire. Instead of urging de-escalation, the Gulf states may shift toward a far more confrontational posture.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Senior Research Analyst