A U.S. service member who had been reported missing is now presumed dead following Iranian air strikes on a military installation in Jordan last week.
The Department of Defense confirmed on Tuesday that Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, from Ozone Park, New York, was likely killed during the attacks on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on Friday. Rampersad was part of the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, within the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command.
According to a statement from the Defense Department, Rampersad's status was updated from missing to Duty Status–Whereabouts Unknown, with the current assessment indicating he is deceased.
His presumed death raises the total number of U.S. military fatalities related to the ongoing conflict with Iran to 18. On Monday, two additional soldiers were identified as casualties of the same Iranian attacks: 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, from Carrollton, Texas. The military has also reported that nearly 100 service members have sustained injuries in the past two weeks, although most have since returned to active duty.
Earlier on Tuesday, President Donald Trump indicated that the U.S. would not reduce military actions against Iran, pledging imminent strikes on a site known as Pickaxe Mountain, suspected of being involved in nuclear activities. Despite the absence of concrete evidence, Trump stated that Iran “may have” stored centrifuges there, asserting that the U.S. would act decisively in the region.
In a continued escalation of military engagement, U.S. Central Command announced further strikes against Iran for the eleventh consecutive night, as Iranian forces persist in targeting U.S. allies and installations throughout the Middle East. This cycle of violence has effectively undermined a previously agreed memorandum aimed at de-escalating the conflict.
The U.S. military maintains that these operations are designed to diminish Iran's capacity to threaten commercial shipping and civilian maritime activities in the Strait of Hormuz, although Iran has retained control over this vital waterway.
Reported by HarborBeat based on WMAR-2 News (source).
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