58 mins agoRubio mourns US troops killed during Iranian attack in Jordan: ‘Heartbreaking’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio mourned the U.S. troops killed in last week’s Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, calling their deaths “heartbreaking” and praising their sacrifice.
“We forget, we take for granted that our military is so effective that the mission they carry out is very, very dangerous,” Rubio told reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing for the Philippines on Sunday night.
Referring to the strike, he noted that U.S. forces intercepted nearly all the incoming missiles, but “one leaked through, hit the wrong place.”
“It’s heartbreaking. Our hearts go out to these families,” Rubio said. “These are heroes that pay the ultimate price.”
The Department of War identified the fallen soldiers as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. Gonzales was killed on Friday, the day of the attack, while Feehan died the following day. Both were serving in air defense units supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.
Rubio also acknowledged the death of another U.S. service member in Iraq on Saturday, saying the soldier was killed in a non-combat accident while decommissioning ammunition.
U.S. Central Command has said the Jordan attack occurred during an Iranian strike and that a third soldier remains missing. The Department of War said the attack remains under investigation.