NEWS
U.S. Military Claims Destruction of Nine Iranian Naval Vessels in Major Escalation, Confirms Three U.S. Service Members Killed
U.S. President Donald J. Trump declared a dramatic escalation in the Middle East conflict on Sunday, asserting that American forces had “destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important.”
In a forceful post on his official social media platform, Truth Social, the president wrote: “We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also!” and added, “In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!”
The claim reflects one of the most intense phases of military action between Washington and Tehran in decades, as U.S. forces strike Iranian naval targets and command infrastructure in a broad offensive.
The U.S. military confirmed on Sunday that three U.S. service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded in what has been described as the opening days of major military operations against Iran. The casualties announced by U.S. Central Command mark the first combat fatalities suffered by American forces since President Trump returned to office.
Central Command said in a statement that additional U.S. personnel sustained “minor shrapnel injuries and concussions” and are expected to soon return to duty as “major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing.”
The deadly U.S. losses come amid a fast‑escalating conflict that has drawn in multiple actors and shaken the region. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched waves of missiles and drones at U.S. and allied targets following U.S.–Israeli strikes earlier this week, which reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures.
On Sunday morning, Iranian state media reported an attack targeting the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier with ballistic missiles. The U.S. military denied that the ship was hit, stating Iran’s projectiles “didn’t come close.”
President Trump had forecast the potential for U.S. casualties in recent statements. “My administration has taken every possible step to minimize the risk to U.S. personnel in the region,” he said, acknowledging the dangers inherent in the operation.
He later added, “Even so, and I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war.”
The unfolding U.S.–Iran hostilities have already had wide‑ranging effects. Analysts warn the confrontation could draw in regional and global powers, disrupt international shipping (especially near the strategic Strait of Hormuz), and unsettle global energy markets. Many governments are urging restraint even as military operations continue.
The world watches as the situation in the Middle East enters a volatile new chapter, with both sides signaling fierce commitment to their objectives and the likelihood of further escalation remaining high.