U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. first lady Melania Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, Robert Kraft and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S., July 19, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
President Donald Trump broke his silence on Sunday about the growing list of U.S. soldiers who died over the weekend because of escalating strikes between the U.S. and Iran.
A total of three U.S. service members have been confirmed killed because of the tit-for-tat strikes over the weekend, according to reports. Two soldiers died on Friday defending against an Iranian ballistic missile strike in Jordan. Another U.S. soldier was confirmed dead after an Iranian drone attack in northern Iraq on Sunday.
In a brief phone call with NewsNation, Trump called the deaths "a very sad thing" and reiterated his goal for the war with Iran is to ensure that the country does not develop a nuclear weapon, according to a new report.
Trump had unsettled political analysts with his silence about the troop deaths over the weekend. Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, posted on X on Sunday that Trump's silence was suspicious.
"No Truth Social post. Something might be cooking," Brodsky noted.
Trump made his brief statement about the troop deaths after attending the World Cup Final in New York, where he was roundly booed by the audience when he was shown on the jumbotron.