US casualties rise to 6 following Iranian retaliation for massive strikes

Six American military service members have been killed amid Iran's retaliation over U.S. and Israeli attacks over the weekend, officials said Monday. 

The U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region. 

"Major combat operations continue. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification," a CENTCOM post on X states. 

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Following U.S. attacks that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran launched a series of strikes on U.S. military bases in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arab, as well as against Israel. 

On Monday, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more U.S. troops were headed toward the Middle East amid escalations by Iran. 

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The U.S. mission in Iran, Caine said, is to "prevent Iran from (the) ability to project power outside its borders."

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the mission is to prevent Tehran from producing a nuclear weapon, as well as destroying some of its military capabilities.

Over the weekend, Iran had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman where it has disrupted commercial shipping, CENTCOM said, but that number declined to zero by Monday.

"The Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades. Those days are over," it said. "Freedom of maritime navigation has underpinned American and global economic prosperity for more than 80 years. U.S. forces will continue to defend it."