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 her status on Tuesday, noting she was previously listed as missing in action and is now believed to be deceased along with First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19.
Sgt. Rampersad belonged to the 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command based in Ansbach, Germany, the same unit as Private Gonzales. New York Assemblyman Pesach Osina stated that Rampersad "simply wanted to serve, protect others and do her duty with courage and humility," and that the community stands with her parents during this difficult time.
Additional Casualties and Ongoing Hostilities
Separately, Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, a 30-year-old father from North Carolina, was identified Tuesday as the fourth U.S. soldier killed in Iraq during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone over the weekend. Sgt. Swinton, assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, leaves behind two young children. He will be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Action Badge, and promoted to staff sergeant.
These incidents occur amidst escalating hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, now in their eleventh straight night of strikes. The conflict reignited after Iranian forces fired on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil supplies. The U.S. responded with retaliatory strikes, and both sides have continued their attacks.
Sirens have sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait warning of incoming projectiles. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, threatening global oil supplies and forcing ships to reroute from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key passage to the Red Sea.
Economic and Political Repercussions
The ongoing conflict has impacted global markets, with crude oil trading above $91 a barrel and average gasoline prices in the U.S. climbing to $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 rising costs and casualties have drawn protests, with demonstrators holding signs reading "NO WAR ON IRAN" and confronting Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a congressional hearing.
Diplomatic Efforts and Threats
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts are underway. Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met with Pakistani leadership, including Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who expressed concern over the escalation and urged restraint. Pakistan played a key role in brokering a previous interim agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iranian officials desire a meeting but that the U.S. has no interest until they are ready to meet in a "meaningful way." Trump also indicated that the U.S. would soon target an area near Pickaxe Mountain, described as a fortified underground site near an Iranian nuclear enrichment facility. Iran's military leaders have warned that any attack on its nuclear or other sensitive facilities would be considered a major escalation, leading to attacks on all U.S. interests and allies in the region.