US identifies soldier killed during controlled detonation of Iranian drone

The U.S. military on Tuesday identified the soldier who died in Iraq during a “controlled detonation” of an Iranian drone.

Read more Arizona’s Republican primaries highlight party divide over Trump

Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed on July 19 while serving at Erbil Air Base. Swinton is one of at least three U.S. soldiers killed in the last week.

RELATED STORY | State Department issues warning for Americans traveling or living abroad as Iran conflict escalates

President Donald Trump issued an ominous warning to Iran in response to the U.S. casualties.

Read more WATCH: Prescott Valley goes through intense monsoon storm Monday

“Every time Iran kills an American Soldier, they will pay for that killing many times over!” Trump said. “This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military.”

RELATED STORY | Why has the US restarted strikes against Iran now?

Trump had been expected to attend a dignified transfer service Tuesday night at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The White House has since announced that the event will be moved to another date, likely later this week.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is facing mounting questions over its transparency about the number of troops injured in the conflict. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Monday that nearly 100 U.S. service members have been injured since July 7. He said 96% have returned to duty, with the vast majority sustaining minor concussions.

Read more RAINFALL TOTALS: How much rain has fallen around the Valley? July 20-21, 2026

By admin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *