Three U.S. Troops Killed As Iran Strikes Back; British Base And UAE Also Targeted (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON/LONDON/ABU DHABI (Worthy News) – Three U.S. service members were killed and five seriously wounded in an Iranian counterattack as fighting between the United States and Iran intensified, officials confirmed Sunday.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump acknowledged the casualties and warned that more American losses were likely as combat operations continue. “There will probably be more before this is over,” Trump said, describing the deaths as part of what he called a “just mission.”

According to U.S. defense officials, the American troops were killed when Iran launched retaliatory strikes targeting U.S. military positions in Iraq and eastern Syria, where American forces are stationed.

Iranian state media said the attacks were in response to ongoing U.S. airstrikes on Iranian military and strategic targets, vowing further retaliation if the bombardments continue.

Additionally, U.S. Central Command confirmed Monday that three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets flying in support of Operation Epic Fury against Iran went down over Kuwait in what officials called an apparent “friendly fire” incident.

All six crew members ejected safely, Worthy News learned.

BASE HIT SEVERAL TIMES

Video footage obtained by Worthy News showed one of them crashing over Kuwait. The aircraft reportedly went down about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Ali Al-Salem Air Base. Other verified images show a pilot descending by parachute.

Ali Al-Salem Air Base was targeted multiple times over the weekend by Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, which Kuwaiti military officials said were largely intercepted.

However, satellite images indicated that several facilities were hit.

Iran’s attacks came after Israel and the United States started striking the Islamic Republic, which also killed the nation’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The escalation also reached Europe overnight when the British Royal Air Force base RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was struck in what officials described as a suspected drone attack.

RAF Akrotiri is a sovereign British military base operated by the United Kingdom under treaty arrangements dating back to Cyprus’s independence in 1960. Cyprus is a member of the European Union but is not part of NATO.

STRIKES SPREAD REGIONALLY

The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that the military responded to the overnight attack on the base, located on the southern coast of Cyprus.

No casualties were reported, but the ministry said there was “limited damage.”

A spokesperson said the situation remained ongoing and that further information would be released “in due course.”

Separately, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Iranian forces have attacked a military base in Bahrain, “nearly hitting” British personnel, although Britain was not involved in the strikes on Iran. “Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them,” Starmer said. “We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue our defensive actions in the region.”

The strikes followed an announcement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he had authorized U.S. forces to use British bases for defensive operations against Iranian missile threats.

Starmer said the United Kingdom had agreed to a U.S. request to use British bases for “specific and limited defensive purposes,” but again stressed that Britain would not participate in offensive military operations against Iran.

UAE GIVES TOUGH RESPONSE

There were also signs the armed conflict was widening across the region, with several Gulf states reporting heightened security alerts.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven emirates including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, announced it had closed its embassy in Tehran, withdrawn its ambassador, and evacuated members of its diplomatic mission following what it described as “blatant” Iranian missile strikes and drone attacks across the country.

“These hostile attacks against civilian sites, including residential areas, airports, ports, and service facilities, endangered innocent civilians in a serious and irresponsible escalation and constitute a flagrant violation of national sovereignty, as well as a clear breach of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The ministry added that the decision “reflects the UAE’s firm and unwavering stance against any aggression that threatens its security and sovereignty.”

On Sunday, two Iranian drones struck Al Salam Naval Base in Abu Dhabi, igniting a fire in two containers, according to the UAE Ministry of Defence. No casualties were reported.

The ministry condemned the incident as a “blatant act of aggression” and said the UAE reserves its full and legitimate right to respond.

TARGETS AND CLOSURES

Since the strikes began, Iranian missile and drone attacks have been reported or confirmed in Iraq and eastern Syria, where U.S. forces are stationed, as well as in Israel.

Air defense systems have also been activated, or strikes intercepted, in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, underscoring the widening geographic scope of the confrontation.

The conflict has disrupted flights across the Middle East and beyond, creating uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of travelers.

Countries across the region closed their airspace at various times, including Israel, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE.

The UAE announced a temporary and partial closure of its airspace, leading to significant disruption at Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic — as well as at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport and Doha’s Hamad International Airport.

More than 3,400 flights were canceled across major Middle Eastern airports in a single day, according to aviation data, while airlines rerouted aircraft globally.

MASSIVE TRAVEL DISRUPTION

Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad — which together typically handle about 90,000 passengers per day through their Gulf hubs — suspended flights, leaving large numbers of passengers stranded or diverted worldwide.

The United Kingdom is preparing what officials describe as one of the largest evacuation efforts in its history.

More than 76,000 British citizens have registered their presence in affected Middle Eastern countries, with over two-thirds believed to be in the UAE.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto was among those caught in the disruption. Crosetto, who had flown to Dubai on Friday to join his family on holiday, said he would return to Italy aboard a military aircraft after civilian flights were suspended.

“I’m returning on my own to avoid exposing others to further danger, since anyone traveling with me in the current circumstances could be put at risk. I’m returning on a military aircraft, and I will leave my family here,” he wrote on the social media platform X.

His temporary stranding drew criticism from some observers. “It is unbelievable that a defense minister responsible for the army would leave at this crucial time. Didn’t he know these strikes would happen?” Italian-Hungarian Agnese Tiberi told Worthy News.

MORE ESCALATION RISKS

Twenty-four of 56 scheduled flights from London’s Heathrow Airport to Middle Eastern destinations were canceled Sunday, according to aviation data.

Airlines issued waivers allowing passengers to rebook without penalty as disruptions continue.

UAE officials said the country’s air defenses have intercepted 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 541 Iranian drones since Saturday.

The rapid expansion of strikes — from Iraq and Syria to Cyprus and the Gulf — signaled a sharp escalation in the confrontation, raising fears of a broader regional or even world conflict.

There is also concern about steps by giants such as China and its ally Russia who have interests in the Middle East, military experts have said

And with U.S. casualties confirmed, allied bases targeted, airspace repeatedly closed, and hundreds of thousands of passengers affected, the crisis appears to be entering a volatile and unpredictable phase.

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