Middle East

Military news from the Middle East.

Latest in Middle East

A U.S. Marine with Kilo Company, Battalion Landing Team 3/5, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, applies camouflage paint before conducting an amphibious assault abroad Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45) in the Pacific Ocean, March 2, 2026. The 11th MEU is currently underway aboard the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations conducting integrated training that enhances lethality and warfighting readiness. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Trent A. Henry)
Middle East

US orders more warships, thousands of Marines to the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted 3 Hours Ago

An AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter assigned to 1st Attack Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, deployed in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), takes off for a routine mission, July 15, 2024 at Erbil Air Base, Iraq. Army aviation assets are used to support CJTF-OIR’s mission to advise, assist, and enable partner forces to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. (U.S. Army Photo by Joseph Kumzak)
Middle East

US Apache helicopters attack Iranian militias in Iraq, Chairman of Joint Chiefs says

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 19, 2026

USS Gerald R. Ford
Middle East

USS Gerald R. Ford en route to Greece for repairs after fire

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 18, 2026

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan was killed in a March 1 Iranian drone attack in Kuwait. Dozens of soldiers from his Iowa-based unit are scrambling to arrange travel to his funeral in California.
Middle East

Soldiers remember a leader killed in Kuwait as ‘surrogate dad’

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 17, 2026

A U.S. Navy Boatswain’s Mate signals to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14, on the flight deck of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) during Operation Epic Fury, Mar. 5, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)
Middle East

At least 200 US troops wounded in Iran war, Pentagon says

By Nicholas Slayton, Patty Nieberg

Posted on Mar 17, 2026

Top row: Maj. John A. Klinner, Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, Capt. Ariana G. Savino. Bottom row: Capt. Seth Koval, Capt. Curtis J. Angst, and Tech Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons. Air Force/courtesy photos.
Middle East

These are the 6 airmen killed in the KC-135 crash in Iraq

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 16, 2026

An F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 87, lands on the flight deck of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Dec. 11, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president's priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)
Middle East

Navy F-18 that got the US’s first air-to-air kill in the 21st century is taking part in the Iran War

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 14, 2026

A KC-135 Stratotanker with the 121st Air Refueling Wing sits on the flight line during the sunrise at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio, August 10, 2025. The KC-135 Stratotanker is an essential aircraft for the Air Mobility Command because it provides core aerial refueling for the United States Air Force to ensure rapid global reach. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Ivy Thomas)
Middle East

All 6 crew members of US KC-135 tanker confirmed dead after crash in Iraq

By Jeff Schogol, Matt White, James Clark

Updated on Mar 13, 2026

KIA Kuwait Fallen 2026
Middle East

These are the US soldiers killed in Iran’s drone strike in Kuwait

By Jeff Schogol, Nicholas Slayton

Updated on Mar 11, 2026

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine
Middle East

US goes after Iran’s ability to lay sea mines, build drones, top general says

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 10, 2026

Aircraft is staged for flight operations on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, Mar. 3, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)
Middle East

Hegseth won’t say how long Iran war might last

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 10, 2026

Air Force F-35 takes flight in the Middle East in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 2, 2026. Air Force photo. 
Middle East

Air National Guard general says Iran operation demonstrates ‘wartime readiness’

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 9, 2026

Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, assigned to the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colo, died March 8, 2026, from injuries sustained during an enemy attack on March 1, 2026, at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia
Middle East

Soldier who died from attack on Saudi Arabia was ‘nothing less than a hero’

By Nicholas Slayton, Jeff Schogol

Updated on Mar 9, 2026

An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151, prepares to launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 6, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo)
Middle East

US strikes continue as Iran war enters its second week

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 8, 2026

251217-N-QR679-1019 PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 17, 2025) - Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758) steams forward off the coast of Guam during a photo exercise, Dec. 17, 2025. Assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam, Annapolis is one of five fast-attack submarines forward-deployed in the Pacific. Renowned for their unparalleled speed, endurance, stealth, and mobility, fast-attack submarines serve as the backbone of the Navy's submarine force, ensuring readiness and agility in safeguarding maritime interests around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. James Caliva)
Middle East

Why Iran’s warship ‘didn’t have a chance’ against a Los Angeles-class submarine

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 4, 2026

U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, makes an announcement aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 7, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sonny Escalante)
Middle East

Top officer in Middle East tells US troops ‘you will change the course of human history’

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Mar 3, 2026