As the U.S. military operation against Iran entered its third day, the number of U.S. service members killed rose to six.
On the 2nd (local time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, said on X (formerly Twitter), "As of 4 p.m. on the 2nd, six U.S. service members have been killed in action."
The two additional service members confirmed dead had been unaccounted for, but their remains were recently recovered from a facility damaged in Iran's initial attack, according to reports.
That day, U.S. President Donald Trump, in a White House briefing, hinted at the possibility of deploying ground forces to Iran and announced the possibility of additional large-scale strikes.
In an interview with the New York Post, President Trump said, "I don't have the 'yips' about ground troops," adding, "I say 'probably not necessary,' or 'if necessary (we can send them).'"
He also said in an interview with CNN, "We haven't even started hitting them (Iran) hard yet," adding, "The big wave hasn't even happened. Something bigger is coming soon."