The Pentagon has formally identified three U.S. Army soldiers who were killed during an Iranian strike on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan over the weekend. The service members were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led mission against ISIS, and were assigned to the Army Air Missile Defense Command. A U.S. official confirmed the location of the strike at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a detail first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Among those killed was 19-year-old Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton, Texas, who died in action on Friday. Gonzales was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command, based in Ansbach, Germany. Friends remembered her as an outgoing and spontaneous individual who loved to dance. Zuleyka Acosta, a friend, noted that Gonzales wanted to make people proud and be viewed as someone who was very disciplined and brave. She had left for boot camp exactly one year ago.
Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, was also confirmed killed in action on Friday after previously being listed as missing. Like Gonzales, she was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. A 25U Signal Operations Support Specialist who enlisted in 2019, her service was recognized with several awards, including the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described her passing as an unimaginable loss, stating that the nation is safer because of brave Americans like her who answer the call to serve.
The third soldier, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, was killed in action on Saturday. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Born and raised in Utah, Feehan was living on Oahu when he joined the Hawaii Army National Guard in 2019 at age 18. U.S. Rep. Ed Case, who represents the Ewa Beach area, stated that Feehan had felt a calling to serve the country from a young age, and extended his condolences to the soldier's family and ohana.
In addition to the fatalities, four U.S. service members were medically evacuated to a hospital in Jordan and have since been discharged. Other service members were treated for minor injuries, according to the military. Following the Iranian attack, U.S. forces launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran at the direction of President Trump, according to CENTCOM. These strikes marked the eighth straight night of operations against Iran since ceasefire talks broke down, and the activity continued into the following day. CENTCOM stated the strikes were designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and to punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces responsible for the attack in Jordan.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth honored the fallen on social media, writing, "Godspeed, heroes," and adding that their sacrifice only stiffens the resolve of the United States. A dignified transfer for the soldiers is scheduled to take place at Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET, with President Trump expected to attend. The incident follows previous casualties in the region, including six service members killed in an Iranian attack on a base in Kuwait in March, six killed in a refueling plane crash in Iraq, and one killed in an Iranian strike on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
