President Donald Trump, accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive the remains of US soldiers killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan, according to reports.
President Donald Trump, accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, arrived at Dover Air Force Base on Monday evening to receive the remains of four US soldiers killed in recent days in Jordan and Iraq, according to reports. The arrival updates earlier announcements that Trump would attend the transfer of remains, and confirms the presence of the top defense officials.
The White House first announced the plan on Monday at 20:12 Jerusalem, without detailing the circumstances of the soldiers' deaths. Shortly after, N12 reported Trump was en route to Dover. Trump then stated: "This is one of the hardest things as president, but it must be done." Later that evening, the arrival was confirmed, and the fallen were identified by Abu Ali Express as 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, Sgt. Michael Swinton, Sgt. Angel Rampersad, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales.
The ceremony takes place against the backdrop of an escalating US-Iran military confrontation. As The Zioneer reported earlier on Monday, Trump confirmed that the US had struck Iranian targets overnight, calling the operation a tribute to three American service members killed in recent Iranian attacks. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Trump had held discussions with Hegseth and Caine about a potential full-scale war but chose to continue diplomacy and targeted strikes for now.
The specific circumstances of the four soldiers' deaths in Jordan and Iraq have not been disclosed. The initial White House statement did not specify the nature of the attacks that led to their deaths, and it remains unclear how many of the fallen were killed in the Iranian attack in Jordan versus other incidents in Iraq.
4 developments
- StrongWSJ: Trump held talks with Hegseth and Caine on Iran but prefers diplomacy for now
- DevelopingTrump visited US soldiers in New Jersey as Washington weighs next steps on Iran
- StrongTrump orders military chiefs to intensify strikes on Iran after arrival of fallen soldiers' bodies
- DevelopingTrump receives intelligence briefing with Vance, Hegseth, Caine; Dallas departure delayed
Source and signal
- Open-source intake