Names Of 6 “Fallen Heroes” Released As U.S. Proves Dominant In Iran Conflict
on Mar 04, 2026
Since The Conflict In Iran Began, 6 U.S. Service Members Have Been Killed
“America is winning, decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy,” declared Sec. of War Pete Hegseth during a news conference on Wednesday, March 4, touting successes as the conflict with Iran enters its fifth day.
Since the United States’ military operation against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, began on Feb. 28, Iran has seen significant losses.
The longstanding Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint airstrike conducted by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28. In addition to the Ayatollah, over 40 Iranian officials are believed to have been killed in the conflict so far.
Speaking with CNN on Friday, March 6, President Donald Trump was asked of his hopes for a new leader for Iran, stating he was not opposed to Iran being led by a religious leader.
Further, Trump said Iran did not need to be a democracy, saying, “I’m saying there has to be a leader that’s going be fair and just. Do a great job. Treat the United States and Israel well, and treat the other countries in the Middle East — they’re all our partners.”
Expounding upon this, Trump alluded to the Abraham Accords, stating:
“And I became very friendly with all those countries. That’s why they’re all fighting for us. Before I got involved, we didn’t even speak to UAE and Saudi Arabia. You know, [President Joe] Biden shut out. Biden and [President Barack] Obama shut Saudi Arabia, UAE Qatar, he shut them all out. They were all going to go to China, and I got involved in very short period of time that became my friends.”
Back on March 4, Sec. of War Hegseth stated that the skies over Iran will soon be “uncontested,” and he also announced that the United States had successfully torpedoed an Iranian warship, calling it a “quiet death” before adding that it was “the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.”
https://t.co/PiqQpVIrMu pic.twitter.com/Wc1e0B0um7
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) March 4, 2026
Wrapping up his comments, Sec. of War Hegseth stated, “America fights to win, and, in Operation Epic Fury, we are.”
However, in that same news conference, the cost of winning was also shared.
Addressing the press, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan “Raizin” Caine said, “It’s with profound sadness and gratitude that I share the names of four of our six fallen heroes.”
At the time, two of the six families had not yet been contacted, so their names were withheld until the evening of March 4.
Identities Revealed Of 6 American Troops Killed In Action; And A Sister Gives A Touching Statement On Her Brother’s Death
As the families of two of the soldiers were still being notified of their death, the identities of only the first four soldiers killed in the conflict were disclosed, and are as follows:
- Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida;
- Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska;
- Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and
- Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.
Gen. Caine noted that all six of the soldiers killed were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve unit based in Des Moines, Iowa.
In the evening of March 4, the identities of the other two deceased service members were revealed, and are as follows:
- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento; and
- Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa.
As of Thursday, March 5, all six of the soldiers who have died in Operation Epic Fury were killed in the same “unmanned aircraft system attack” on March 1 while stationed at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.
The bodies of CWO 3 Marzan and Maj. O’Brien, who were identified later than the other four deceased service members, were recovered after the initial four were reported.
President Trump is expected to attend a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base as the remains of all six service members return to the United States on Saturday, March 7.
Responding to the death of 20-year-old Sgt. Declan Coady, his surviving older sister, Keira, offered a few touching words in a statement to ABC News.
“On Sunday, March 1, after trying to check in, we heard nothing,” Keira recalled. “Trying to be positive we all assumed he was just in a situation where he couldn’t message back, but we all knew something was wrong.“
Then, a knock came at the door, with Keira sharing, “At 8 p.m., as we all were getting ready to go to bed, the doorbell rang, and the rest of that night will forever be one of the worst nights of our lives. While it’s all blurry, we all knew what the doorbell meant.”
She learned that her brother died while on the way to receive medical attention from his injuries in the attack at their post in Kuwait, and also noted that Declan was posthumously promoted from Specialist to Sergeant.
“As his older sister, I can’t quite comprehend it even now, but the only thing I can think is that I wish I had called him one more time and told him I loved him,” Kiera said.
Powerfully, she then said:
“It’s hard to say anything because those that don’t know him will just know him as another person that died in combat and their lives will go on. However, for my family, my parents lost a son, and me and my siblings lost a brother.”
Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, with President Donald Trump announcing that the United States had begun undertaking “major combat operations in Iran” with the objective being “to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
Noting that “Iran is the No. 1 state sponsor of terror” and that it “can never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump argued that this military action was being conducted after decades of conflict following the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
“I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill,” Trump said. “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties — that often happens in war — but we’re doing this, not for now, we’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.”
Trump then declared:
“We pray for every service member as they selflessly risk their lives to ensure that Americans and their children will never be threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran. We ask God to protect all of our heroes in harm’s way, and we trust that, with His help, the men and women of the Armed Forces will prevail.”
During a March 2 news conference, Sec. of War Hegseth said, “As the president warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell, and always will be. A grateful nation honors the four Americans we have lost thus far and those injured — the absolute best of America.”
Speaking on March 4, Gen. Caine said, “To our Gold Star families, to our wounded warriors, and their loved ones, we will never forget your sacrifice.”
RELATED: Trump Says U.S. Military Is “Undertaking A Massive And Ongoing Operation” In Iran
Sec. Of War Hegseth Issues Statement To The Troops
While delivering his remarks in a news conference on March 2, Sec. of War Pete Hegseth took a moment to address the United States Armed Forces regarding the conflict in Iran.
In the message, Sec. of War Hegseth encouraged the troops to “stay focused,” adding, “Our Commander in Chief is steady at the wheel.”
Further, he said:
“We face a determined enemy, but you are better, and you must prove it every single day. History doesn’t care if we’re tired, or scared, or if the fight feels big. It demands warriors who rise anyway. ‘Peace Through Strength,’ ‘The Warrior Ethos,’ ‘Lethality and Unity of Purpose’ — those are not slogans. They’re the beating heart of what it means to wear the uniform.”
Concluding his message, he said, “May Almighty God watch over you, and His providential arms of protection extend over you. Godspeed, warriors, and keep going.”
Watch Sec. of War Hegseth’s full statement to the troops, here:
RELATED: “Peace Through Strength” Touted By Trump As He Addresses U.S. Troops In Middle East
