A total of 13 US service members have been killed and 365 others injured since the start of the military campaign against Iran, according to the latest Pentagon reports released on Friday, April 3.
The operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” has seen a significant number of casualties across different military branches. Of the 365 injured, the US Army accounts for 247 personnel, followed by 63 from the Navy, 36 from the Air Force, and 19 Marines, CBS reported. US Central Command stated that the majority of the wounded have already returned to duty.
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The death toll remains at 13, with seven fatalities resulting from combat actions. These include six service members killed during an Iranian strike in Kuwait and one who died from wounds sustained in Saudi Arabia. The remaining six deaths occurred during the crash of a US refueling aircraft and are classified as non-combat fatalities, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The report follows a major escalation in the conflict on Friday, when Iranian forces shot down two American aircraft. A US A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack jet was downed over the Persian Gulf, though the pilot was successfully rescued by special forces. On the same day, an F-15 fighter jet was lost inside Iran – the first such combat loss of the war. While one crew member was rescued, a high-risk search operation continues for the second.
The widening conflict, which erupted on Feb. 28 following US-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has prompted the Trump administration to request a record $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027. The proposal represents a more than 40 percent increase in military spending to replenish ammunition stockpiles and fund new programs like the Golden Dome missile defense system.
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