A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman’s Musandam province, on Sunday, April 12. 2026.
Stringer/Reuters

The commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, confirmed on Thursday that 14 American servicemen have been killed since the start of the war with Iran on February 28.

Cooper said during a speech before the Senate Armed Services Committee, which CENTCOM published on its X platform account, that the US command “honors the memories of 14 servicemen who paid the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Epic Fury,” in addition to two soldiers and a civilian killed in the Syrian city of Palmyra.

The commander of US Central Command claimed that Iranian-backed groups had carried out more than 350 attacks against US forces and diplomats in the 30 months preceding military operations against Tehran, resulting in the deaths of four service members and injuries to approximately 200 others.

Cooper added that Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Ansar Allah in Yemen are now “completely cut off” from Iranian support.