At the center of this sprawling, manicured cemetery for veterans and service members, ground staff and three machines this week have cleared space for a new grave site. It will be the place where one of the first victims of a new US conflict – the 2026 war on Iran – will be laid to rest on Friday. As a colonel, as a graduate of the Air War College, one of the first things you learn is what are your objectives so that you know what forces need to be deployed,” he says. While neither likely ever knew of each other, they will be forever linked as the first US service members to die within days of each other in the Iran conflict. Two Iowans from neighboring communities outside Des Moines were among six US service members killed and dozens injured in Kuwait on 1 March after an Iranian drone attack on a makeshift office space.

Source: The Guardian April 03, 2026 15:56 UTC