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President Donald Trump will travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday to attend a dignified transfer of U.S. service members killed in the war in Iran.
"Heading to Dover Air Force Base to HONOR OUR HEROES!" Trump posted to his social media platform Wednesday morning.
"We're going to Dover, some of you are going with us, to honor our heroes. And they are indeed great heroes, actually," Trump told reporters just before boarding Air Force One for the flight to Dover.
The president said the dignified transfer ceremony is "one of the hardest things to do as a president but it has to be done." He then proceeded to defend the war in Iran, claiming that "all" of the fallen soldiers had "said very strongly" that "we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon."
Asked what he would say to the families of the fallen, Trump said he'd tell them they're loved.
"All I'm going to say is, we love you. We love your child, and that's what they are to them. They're their children. There's no games, no nothing. That's their child. And all you can do is throw out your heart," Trump said before boarding Air Force One.
Wednesday's ceremony is the third dignified transfer Trump has attended since the start of the Iran war.
Overnight, the Pentagon identified the third person believed to have been killed in action during Friday's Iranian strike on a U.S. base in Jordan as Army Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York.
Two other American soldiers died in the Iranian attack on the U.S. base: Pfc. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, and 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii.
Who were the 4 US soldiers killed in Iranian attacks over the weekend?A fourth soldier. Army Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died Sunday following the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone at Erbil Air Base in Iraq, the Army said.
Since the U.S. war in Iran began in late February, at least 18 soldiers have been killed and roughly 500 wounded, according to the Department of Defense.
Fighting has intensified after a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran reached in mid-June broke down. There has now been 11 consecutive nights of strikes.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
