Slain U.S. Troops Returned From Iran
The remains of six U.S. troops killed in the war with Iran were returned in a dignified transfer, highlighting the conflict's growing human cost. Meanwhile, President Trump announced a new military coalition to target cartels and publicly sparred with UK leaders over allied support.
The six U.S. troops were killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait on March 1, 2026. All six were members of the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve unit from Iowa, and were providing logistical support to U.S. forces in the Middle East. The fallen service members were identified as Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, Capt. Cody Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, and Sgt. Declan Coady. The drone strike is part of a wider conflict that began on February 28, 2026, when the U.S. and Israel launched a series of joint strikes against Iran, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury". The initial attacks targeted Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who was killed, as well as military and nuclear infrastructure. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on U.S. and allied targets across the region. The new military coalition, named the "Americas Counter Cartel Coalition" (A3C), was announced by President Trump at the "Shield of the Americas Summit" in Doral, Florida. The 17-nation alliance is committed to using lethal military force to dismantle drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere. Leaders from several Latin American and Caribbean nations, including Argentina, El Salvador, and Ecuador, were in attendance. The public disagreement with UK leaders stems from the UK's initial refusal to allow the U.S. to use its military bases for offensive strikes against Iran. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer later permitted the use of UK bases for "defensive" actions against Iranian missile sites, a move that faced opposition from the British public and still drew criticism from President Trump.
