Number of US Troops Wounded in Iran War Rises to About 200

In total, 13 U.S. troops have have been killed since the United States and Israel launched a joint military mission to target Iran.

An F-35C Lightning II preparing for launch on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln at an undisclosed location in the Middle East, on March 2, 2026. U.S. Navy via AP

The number of U.S. troops wounded during the Iran war has risen to about 200, Central Command (CENTCOM) said on March 16.

CENTCOM said 10 of those were serious in nature, but the vast majority had minor wounds, and 180 military service personnel who had been injured have already returned to duty.

Injuries were incurred in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, according to CENTCOM.

In total, 13 U.S. troops have been killed since the United States and Israel launched a joint military mission on Feb. 28 against Iran.

The first six U.S. combat fatalities of the conflict occurred on March 1 in an Iranian drone strike on a U.S. Tactical Operations Center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.

The six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers were: Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, 45; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54; Capt. Cody Khork, 35; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20.

All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa. They were deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Epic Fury.

A seventh fatality occurred on March 8, when Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, 26, died from wounds sustained during an Iranian attack on March 1 at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Pennington was assigned to the First Space Battalion, First Space Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado.

On March 12, six airmen were killed when their KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling craft crashed over western Iraq.

President Donald Trump salutes as members of a U.S. Army team carry a flag-draped transfer case containing the remains of Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens during a dignified transfer solemn event at Dover Air Force Base, in Dover, Del., on March 7, 2026. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The flight crew consisted of Maj. John A. Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28.

Klinner, Savino, and Pruitt were assigned to the Sixth Air Refueling Wing, based out of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

(Top L–R) Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Ala., Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash., and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Ky. (Bottom L–R) Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Ind., Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio, and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons of Columbus, Ohio. MacDill Air Force Base, Ohio National Guard

Koval, Angst, and Simmons were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing, an Ohio Air National Guard unit based out of Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio.

Their KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft went down during an incident involving a second KC-135. The second aircraft landed safely in Israel.

More Than 7,000 Targets Struck

CENTCOM on March 16 also provided an update on Operation Epic Fury, the United States’ mission, which is operating alongside Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion.

The command said in a post on X that since the beginning of the Iran war, the U.S. military has struck more than 7,000 targets, conducting more than 6,500 combat flights. So far, more than 100 Iranian vessels have been damaged or destroyed, according to CENTOM.

It detailed that air assets used to conduct the operation included B-1 Lancer bombers, B-2 stealth bombers, B-52 bombers, and F-35 stealth fighters, as well as an assortment of other fighters, reconnaissance aircraft, and cargo and refueling craft.

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, assigned to the 509th/131st Bomb Wings out of Whiteman Air Force Base, performs a flyover of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis on May 8, 2020. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo

Sea and land craft and systems were also employed, including nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, and Patriot interceptor missile systems.

Targets included naval ships and submarines, ballistic missile sites, missile and drone manufacturing, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters and intelligence locations.

Ryan Morgan and Reuters contributed to this report.