DOVER, Del., March 8 — President Donald Trump on Saturday attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base for six American service members killed during Operation Epic Fury, the military campaign the United States has said targeted Iranian forces. First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance were among senior administration and military officials who joined the brief ceremony honoring the fallen.
According to media reports, the six troops were killed March 1 while working in a makeshift office at Shuaiba Port when an Iranian drone struck the site. That incident is under investigation, and details remain limited as military authorities review what happened.
The service members who died were identified as Major Jeffrey R. O’Brien, Captain Cody A. Khork, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor, Sergeant First Class Noah L. Tietjens, and Sergeant Declan J. Coady. Leaders at the ceremony paid tribute to their service and sacrifice.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Pete Hegseth said their deaths would not be in vain and pledged a forceful response: “We will honor them with action. We will hunt down the Iranians radicals responsible, dismantle their military capabilities, and ensure that justice is swift and absolute,” he wrote.
The U.S. has described Operation Epic Fury as a series of precision strikes intended to protect American forces in the region and to advance U.S. national interests and collective self-defense for regional partners, including Israel. Aboard Air Force One en route to Dover, President Trump briefed reporters on the campaign and said U.S. strikes have repeatedly targeted Iranian leadership elements. He was also asked about any Russian role in supporting Iran and replied he had seen no indication of that.
Reports earlier in the month described a strike on Iranian territory that U.S. and allied officials said hit senior targets; Tehran responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones toward U.S. assets and allied countries across the region, including Israel and several Gulf states. Those exchanges have increased tensions in the region and raised concerns about danger to civilians and expatriates.
Officials have emphasized that investigations into the March 1 attack and the broader sequence of strikes and reprisals are ongoing. The details in this account are drawn from media reports as authorities continue to confirm facts and assess next steps.
