An F/A-18F Super Hornet attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 41 takes off from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy)
A fourth U.S. service member has died as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, U.S. Central Command said Monday.
The individual was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, the command said in a statement, and later died from their injuries. The name of the deceased is being withheld until next of kin can be notified.
Three other U.S. service members were killed in action, CENTCOM announced on Sunday. A total of 18 service members had been seriously wounded during the operation as of Monday afternoon, CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the offensive in Iran will not turn into another “endless war,” batting down comparisons to Iraq while also declining to give a definite timeline.
“As the president warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties,” Hegseth said. “War is hell and always will be.”
The casualties occurred as a result of a projectile that managed to evade air defense systems and hit a fortified tactical operations center, Hegseth said. He did not specify where the attack occurred, but reporting from NBC and the Washington Post indicate it was in Kuwait.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered his condolences to the families and friends of the fallen service members, while echoing Hegseth’s warnings about additional casualties.
“The military objectives that CENTCOM and the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and in some cases, will be difficult and gritty work,” he said. “We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize U.S. losses. But as the Secretary said, this is major combat operations.”
