Three US service members were killed and five others were seriously injured during US attacks against Iran, Central Command reported this Sunday according to a agency office AP.
These are the first American casualties in a large-scale offensive that has unleashed retaliation from the Islamic Republic and has raised tension in the Middle East to an unprecedented level, creating a scenario that is as dangerous as it is volatile.
Without offering details about the circumstances of the fatal casualties, the military said that “several others suffered minor shrapnel injuries and concussions” and would return to duty soon. The situation was described as “changing”, while awaiting official notification to the families of the fallen.
President Donald Trump had anticipated that American soldiers could be killed or wounded in the operation. “The lives of brave American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we are not doing this for now. We are doing this for the future,” he declared in a video message released Saturday.
The administration has insisted that the offensive seeks to weaken Iran’s military capabilities after the death of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint attack by the United States and Israel.
Regional escalation and the controversy surrounding the Lincoln aircraft carrier
Harsh Iranian counterattacks have hit US bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, among other enclaves in the region, as well as targets in Israel. The Revolutionary Guard has promised to launch its “most intense offensive operation” against Israeli and American military installations.
Targets include international airports in Dubai, Kuwait and Erbil, as well as residential areas in Israel and Qatar. The US Central Command denied, however, that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln had been hit by ballistic missiles, ensuring that “the missiles launched did not even come close.”
However, a statement this Sunday from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), cited by the Iranian agency Farsassured that the ship was hit by four ballistic missiles.
Before the attacks, Trump had concentrated the largest military presence in the Middle East in decades. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and several destroyers were sent from the Caribbean to reinforce the fleet. The Ford participated in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January, an operation that left wounded but no American casualties.
In turn, the IRGC confirmed that the sixth phase of Operation True Promise IV was carried out with extensive missile and drone attacks against the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel and US military bases in the region.
In this regard, he specified that 27 US bases in the area, along with the Tel Nof base, located in the center of the occupied territories; The Israeli army headquarters in HaKirya, in the heart of Tel Aviv, and the large Tel Aviv defense industrial complex, were some of the targets attacked, according to a report published by the iranian portal HispanTV.
Diplomatic contacts: Trump opens the door to negotiations
In parallel with the offensive, Trump has expressed willingness to negotiate with the new Iranian leadership. “They want to talk and I have agreed […]so let’s talk to them. They should have done it sooner. “They have waited too long,” he declared in a telephone interview with the magazine Atlantic.
White House sources clarified that these conversations will not occur in the short term and that the military operation continues. “For now, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated,” said a presidential spokesperson.
For his part, the Foreign Minister of Oman, Badr al Busaidi, assured that his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchí, conveyed Tehran’s willingness to “any serious effort that contributes to stopping the escalation and restoring stability.” Iran welcomed Oman’s diplomatic efforts, although mediation failed to stop the outbreak of war.
Araqchí stated that the bombings against Tehran “have no impact on our ability to wage war” thanks to a decentralized defense system. “We will decide when and how the war will end,” he said on social media.
Iranian attacks have caused casualties in Israel. A missile hit the town of Beit Shemesh, collapsing a residential building and leaving at least nine dead and 40 injured. Among the targets was also the Haifa refinery, the country’s largest oil facility, which suspended operations preventively.
Public opinion in the US, rising oil and inflation threat
A survey of Ipsos and Reuters revealed that only one in four Americans approves of the attacks against Iran. 27% expressed support, while 43% disapproved and 29% said they were unsure. The division is marked between Republicans and Democrats: 55% of the former approve of the offensive, compared to just 7% of the latter.
The president assured that the military campaign will not affect the midterm elections scheduled for November. “We have the best economy the country has ever had,” he said, downplaying the impact of the conflict on the price of oil.
Trump also expressed confidence that there will be an internal uprising against the Islamic Republic. “People are shouting in the streets with joy, but at the same time many bombs are falling,” he said.
In the midst of the conflict in the Middle East, Brent crude oil rose 10% this Sunday – at a rate of about $80 a barrel – in the over-the-counter market and analysts warn of an abrupt increase that could reach $100 a barrel.
Currently, more than 20% of the world’s oil is transported through the Strait of Hormuz, currently closed by Iran to commercial movement.
Located between Oman and Iran, this key artery for the crude oil trade connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
A barrel of oil at $100 would represent a strong inflationary boost for the United States, as it would immediately make fuel and transportation more expensive, raising production costs in key sectors such as the chemical industry, aviation and logistics.
This increase would be transferred to the final prices of goods and services, putting pressure on general inflation by around 0.5 to 1 additional percentage point if it is maintained over time.
In addition, the Federal Reserve could be forced to tighten its monetary policy to contain the rise in prices, while the government would resort to releasing strategic crude oil reserves to moderate the domestic impact.
