Washington, 22 July (H.S.): The United States military on Tuesday identified a third American service member believed to have been killed in last week's Iranian missile and drone attack on a military base in Jordan, as tensions between Washington and Tehran continued to escalate across the Middle East.

The Pentagon said Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, is believed to be the missing soldier following Friday's attack. Her official military status has been updated to Duty Status–Whereabouts Unknown and she is believed to be deceased while forensic procedures continue to formally verify the recovered remains.

The attack marked one of the deadliest incidents involving US forces since the current conflict between the United States and Iran began. It was also the first confirmed loss of American troops from direct Iranian military action since the early days of the war.

Earlier this week, the Pentagon identified the other two soldiers killed in the same attack as First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. All three were deployed in support of the US-led mission against the Islamic State (ISIS) in the region.

According to US Central Command, the military installation in Jordan came under a coordinated barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles and armed drones on Friday. Initial reports confirmed two fatalities and one missing service member. Recovery teams later discovered unidentified human remains, leading investigators to conclude that Sgt. Rampersad is most likely the missing soldier.

Rampersad and Gonzales both served with the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command based in Ansbach, Germany.

Separately, the US Army on Tuesday also confirmed the death of Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, during a controlled detonation operation involving an Iranian drone at an air base in Irbil, Iraq, on Sunday. Military officials said an investigation has been launched to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.

Swinton, who had served in the US Army since 2017, was assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He is survived by his wife and two young children. The Army announced that he will be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Senior military officials described Swinton as a highly respected non-commissioned officer known for his professionalism, dedication and commitment to both his fellow soldiers and his family.

The latest fatalities bring the total number of US service members killed since the conflict began to 18, highlighting the growing risks faced by American forces deployed across the Middle East.

The conflict has entered its tenth day, with both the United States and Iran continuing to exchange missile and drone strikes. Iran has targeted US military installations and allied facilities across the region, while the United States has carried out strikes against Iranian military assets and infrastructure.

Iranian authorities have claimed that recent US military operations have killed at least 50 people and injured more than 500 over the past three weeks. Meanwhile, the fighting has also affected civilian infrastructure, disrupted commercial shipping routes and contributed to rising global energy prices.

The US State Department on Tuesday issued a fresh global security advisory, warning American citizens that Iran and groups aligned with Tehran could target US interests, diplomatic facilities and American nationals overseas.

President Donald Trump has maintained that the military campaign is aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. However, the prolonged conflict has intensified domestic political pressure on his administration to seek a resolution and avoid a wider regional war.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar