US military death toll rises to 17 as Iran war intensifies

USA TODAY · Jul 20, 2026 21:13 · 3 min read

Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, killed in action in an Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan, in this image taken at a location given as Germany, released on July 20, 2026.

As the United States launched strikes against Iran for the tenth consecutive day, the death toll of American service members rose to 17.

The confirmed U.S. military death toll in the war with Iran rose to 17 after two American soldiers were killed in Jordan, the Pentagon announced July 19.

The service members were identified as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. Their deaths are the latest in a conflict that has claimed American lives across the Middle East since March, while President Donald Trump said the U.S. military campaign has left Iran "very badly damaged" with "very little left" militarily.

Shortly after announcing the fatalities, U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said it launched another round of strikes against Iran.

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"The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM said in a post on X.

Trump, speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on July 19, said Iran has been militarily weakened after months of U.S. and Israeli attacks.

"Those great people, those great patriots, were out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said of the fallen troops. "Iran has been very, very badly damaged."

How many US service members have died in the war with Iran?

With the deaths of Feehan and Gonzales, 17 U.S. service members have died since the conflict began in February.

The first fatalities came March 1, one day after the United States and Israel launched a campaign against Iran that targeted top military and political leaders and struck more than 1,250 sites across the country.

Six troops were killed when an Iranian drone strike hit the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth later said an Iranian missile penetrated U.S. air defenses and struck a fortified tactical operations center.

Those killed were:

Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, 45
Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39
Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42
Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20

The next casualty came March 6, when Maj. Sorffly Davius, 46, died of undetermined causes while stationed at Camp Buehring in Kuwait, according to the New York National Guard.

Two days later, Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, died from injuries sustained during a March 1 attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

US military death toll rises to 17 as Iran war intensifies — A U.S. warship launches a munition at an unknown location during what the U.S. military says is its latest wave of strikes on Iran, hitting "Iranian military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities," in this still image taken from handout video released July 16, 2026.

Deadly crash over Iraq killed six more troops

Another deadly incident for U.S. forces during the war came March 12, when a KC-135 refueling tanker crashed after a midair collision over western Iraq.

CENTCOM said the collision was accidental and occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury.

The six service members killed were: