ByREUTERS
Updated:

The US military identified on Tuesday four of the first American soldiers killed in Operation Epic Fury, as the Trump administration warned the intensifying conflict would lead to more American casualties.

Among the six US military deaths so far, the four soldiers were members of an Iowa unit of the US Army Reserve. They died on Sunday when a drone slammed into a US military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, the US military said on Tuesday.

The Pentagon said four ranged in age from 20 to 42 and served in the 103rd Sustainment Command from Des Moines, Iowa, part of the Army's global logistics and supply operation.

The four US Army Reserve soldiers killed in action:

Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida.

US Army Reserve Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida poses in an undated photograph in his uniform. Khork was killed March 1, 2026, at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait during a drone attack.
US Army Reserve Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida poses in an undated photograph in his uniform. Khork was killed March 1, 2026, at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait during a drone attack. (credit: US Army Reserve/Handout via REUTERS)

Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.

US Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska poses in an undated photograph in his uniform. Tietjens was killed March 1, 2026, at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait during a drone attack.
US Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska poses in an undated photograph in his uniform. Tietjens was killed March 1, 2026, at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait during a drone attack. (credit: US Army Reserve/Handout via REUTERS)

Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

US Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota poses in an undated photograph in her uniform. Amor was killed March 1, 2026, at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait during a drone attack.
US Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota poses in an undated photograph in her uniform. Amor was killed March 1, 2026, at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait during a drone attack. (credit: US Army Reserve/Handout via REUTERS)

Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa poses in an undated photograph in his uniform. Coady was killed March 1, 2026, at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait during a drone attack.
U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa poses in an undated photograph in his uniform. Coady was killed March 1, 2026, at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait during a drone attack. (credit: US Army Reserve/Handout via REUTERS)

Another two confirmed casualties have yet to be identified.

Major General Todd Erskine, who leads the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, in a statement, extended "my deepest sympathy and my respect" to relatives and unit members of the four.

President Donald Trump and other senior officials have warned that the Iran conflict will result in more US military deaths as Tehran retaliates against US and Israeli strikes.

The US military's Central Command said on Tuesday that Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in its retaliatory attacks throughout the Middle East so far.

The risks to US forces in the Middle East came up during a closed-door briefing to lawmakers on Tuesday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"They told us in that room that there are going to be more Americans that are gonna die -- that they are not ... going to be able to stop these drones," Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, said.

The facility in Kuwait where the four deaths occurred was protected by concrete blast walls but did not have a fortified roof, two officials told Reuters.

It was unclear whether air defenses were in place, but no alarm apparently sounded as the drone approached, one of the officials added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

US soldiers killed in Yemen

Three US soldiers were killed and five others seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury in Yemen, US Central Command said in a statement on Sunday.

The announcement confirmed that major combat operations were ongoing as American forces continued strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets.

According to CENTCOM, several additional personnel sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are in the process of being returned to duty. The US military said the situation remains fluid as operations continue in the region.

The casualties come amid an intensified US-Israel offensive targeting Iran’s military infrastructure, missile systems, and command centers. Washington coordinated with Jerusalem in a series of strikes designed to degrade Tehran’s strategic capabilities and counter threats to regional security.