Fourth U.S. Soldier Identified in Iranian Attack
The Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday that a fourth American soldier has been identified as a casualty of a recent Iranian attack on a U.S. military base. This follows 11 consecutive nights of U.S. bombings in Iran.
Sergeant Angel S. Rampersad, 28, from Ozone Park, New York, is believed to have been killed in action due to enemy fire at Muwafaq-Salti Air Base in Jordan on July 17, 2026, according to an Army statement.
The statement mentioned that this incident is still under investigation. Notably, U.S. Central Command had earlier indicated that the soldier was missing.
“The soldier’s status has been updated to Mission Status – Missing and is believed to be deceased,” the statement clarified.
Rampersad was part of the 1st Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, which operates under the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command based in Germany.
Previously identified casualties include Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, from Hawaii, and Private First Class Isabella Gonzalez, 19, of Texas, both of whom were killed in the same attack.
Sgt. Michael Emanuel Swinton from North Carolina also lost his life recently while neutralizing an Iranian drone in Iraq.
With these tragic losses, the number of U.S. military personnel who have died in the ongoing conflict with Iran has reached 18.
In response to Rampersad’s presumed death, City Council President Julie Menin and Queens Councilwoman Joanne Arriola released a statement expressing their condolences. They said, “Tonight, our city mourns the presumed death of Ozone Park resident Sergeant Angel Sarah Rampersad, who passed away in the service of her country in Jordan this past weekend.”
They offered thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Rampersad, hoping for the safe return of all service members amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The Pentagon’s announcement of Rampersad’s presumed death comes as U.S. forces continue their military operations against Iran. “CENTCOM forces began striking Iranian military targets for the 11th night in a row today at 7:00 pm ET,” stated a combatant commander.
This latest attack aims to diminish Iran’s capabilities to threaten commercial shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to CENTCOM, the most recent missions targeted various military assets, including command centers, aircraft maintenance facilities, and logistics operations, to further limit Iran’s threats to commercial shipping.
Moreover, CENTCOM reported that Iran has conducted unwarranted attacks on over 30 commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months.
Despite these provocations, they asserted that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial navigation, with U.S. forces having facilitated the transfer of approximately 900 commercial vessels along with 450 million barrels of crude oil since early May.
