Seventh U.S. service member killed in Iran war returns home as Trump says conflict may soon end
The seventh American service member killed in the war with Iran has returned home.
(NBC)- The seventh American service member killed in the war with Iran has returned home.
Vice President J.D. Vance overnight honored Army Sergeant Benjamin Pennington, who died Sunday from wounds he suffered in an Iranian strike on a U.S. air base in Saudi Arabia on March 1.
Pennington’s death comes as the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, though President Donald Trump says the war could soon be coming to an end.
“It’s going to be ended soon,” Trump said.
The president also warned of stronger military action if Iran attempts to further restrict access to the Strait of Hormuz — a critical route for global oil shipments.
“We’ll take them out so quickly, they’ll never be able to recover, ever,” Trump said.
The war has already disrupted traffic through the key oil corridor, contributing to rising gas prices in the United States.
“To fill it up, it brought an extra $15, $20 in the tank,” said New York driver Michael Anderson.
President Trump also told NBC News by phone that while people have discussed the possibility of the United States seizing Iranian oil, he did not want to address that idea at this time.
Meanwhile, the president weighed in on Iran selecting a new supreme leader — the hardline son of the ayatollah who was killed during the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes.
“I was disappointed because we think it’s going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country,” Trump said.
New video circulating online also appears to show what weapons experts say is a U.S. Tomahawk missile striking an area near an Iranian elementary school at the start of the war, killing 170 people.
President Trump again asserted — without evidence — that Iran could have been responsible for firing the missile.
“The Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is used by, you know, is sold and used by other countries,” Trump said.
However, experts say in this conflict only the United States has that specific munition. The president said the incident remains under investigation.
