U.S. soldier killed in Iraq during drone ordnance disposal

A U.S. soldier lost their life in northern Iraq on Saturday while participating in a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance. The ordnance was from an Iranian "kamikaze" drone.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the fatality on the platform X, formerly Twitter. The statement also noted that another soldier suffered minor injuries during the operation and is currently receiving medical care.

This incident occurred just one day after the U.S. military reported that two soldiers died during an operation in Jordan. Those were the first reported U.S. military casualties since the recent escalation of conflict with Iran. At that time, the military also announced that a third soldier was missing. On Sunday, the remains of an unidentified individual were found after an extensive search in the area, and media reports, citing a U.S. official, suggested these were likely the missing soldier's remains.

Since the conflict in the Persian Gulf region intensified, Iran's government, which typically only reports civilian casualties and does not release official figures on military losses, has stated that at least 50 people were killed and over 500 injured in recent U.S. strikes within Iran. The U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February. Fragile ceasefires took hold in early April, but the conflict flared up again in early July.