The U.S. has identified Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, as the third service member killed in an Iranian strike on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on Friday. The Pentagon announced the identification on Tuesday, adding that Rampersad, along with First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, are now believed to be deceased. Rampersad and Gonzales belonged to the 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command based in Ansbach, Germany.
Separately, Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, a father of two from North Carolina, was identified as the fourth U.S. soldier killed in Iraq over the weekend during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone. Swinton, assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, had served for nearly a decade and leaves behind a son and a daughter. His wife described him as a hero who will be forever missed.
These casualties occur as hostilities between the U.S. and Iran have escalated for eleven consecutive nights. The conflict reignited last week after Iranian forces fired on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to U.S. retaliatory strikes. Iran has continued its attacks on U.S. allies and tankers in the region. Sirens warning of incoming projectiles were heard in Bahrain and Kuwait, and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, threatening global oil supplies.
Amid the ongoing conflict, the international benchmark for crude oil surpassed $91 a barrel, and average gasoline prices in the U.S. reached $4 a gallon. The U.S. has reportedly spent an estimated $37 billion on the war effort and is seeking an additional $67 billion in emergency funding. The proposed funding increase faced protests at a congressional hearing Tuesday, where demonstrators voiced opposition to the war.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iranian officials are eager to meet but that the U.S. has no interest in negotiations until Iran is ready to meet meaningfully. He indicated that the U.S. would soon target an area near Pickaxe Mountain, described as a fortified underground site near a primary Iranian nuclear enrichment facility. Iran's military leaders have warned that any attack on its nuclear or sensitive facilities would be considered a major escalation, threatening to target U.S. interests and allies if such an action is taken.
Meanwhile, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met with Pakistani leadership in an effort to de-escalate tensions. Pakistan has played a role in mediating previous agreements between the U.S. and Iran and is urging both sides to return to diplomatic talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep concern over the recent escalation and called for restraint from all parties.
IMAGE7: Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, was one of three US service members killed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on Friday IMAGE5: Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, was listed as missing following the attack but is now 'believed to be deceased' IMAGE1: Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, a 30-year-old father from North Carolina, was killed in Iraq during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone IMAGE6: An Iranian missile was launched on Tuesday IMAGE3: US Central Command said on Tuesday it had conducted precision strikes targeting Iranian military capabilities the night before IMAGE4: U.S. Capitol Police remove a protester from the Tuesday hearing IMAGE2: Protesters who support Yemen's Houthi group brandish weapons and shout slogans as they celebrate the ban decision imposed against the maritime shipping of Saudi Arabia