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Al Jazeera reported on Sunday (March 1) that tensions have escalated across the region following a joint military operation by the United States and Israel in Iran. The report noted that the United States also suffered significant damage from Iran’s retaliatory attack.
The US military announced that three American soldiers were killed and at least five were seriously injured during ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ which was conducted against Iran.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in a press release that these casualties were confirmed based on information received up to 9:30 AM on Saturday. Some of the injured sustained shrapnel wounds and traumatic brain injuries. Efforts are underway to ensure their swift recovery and return to duty, the statement added.
CENTCOM further noted that the military operation is ongoing and the situation remains fluid. In accordance with regulations, the identities of the deceased soldiers will not be disclosed for at least 24 hours to allow for respectful notification of their next of kin.
Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have launched the sixth phase of retaliatory attacks in response to bombings by the United States and Israel. Iranian state media reported that 27 US military bases in the Middle East were targeted.
The IRGC also claimed to have conducted ‘massive missile and drone’ attacks on Israel and various US military installations in the Middle East. Specific targets reportedly included Israel’s Tel Nof Airbase, Ha-Kirya (the Israeli army’s command headquarters in Tel Aviv), and a major defense industrial complex in the same city.
The organization further stated that Iranian forces would take ‘step-by-step more diverse and harsher retaliatory measures,’ which they described as ‘successive strikes.’ However, independent confirmation of the damage or casualties resulting from these attacks is not yet available.