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The Hill
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
2 soldiers killed in separate non-combat incidents in Iraq, Kuwait
The Pentagon on Wednesday announced the deaths of two soldiers killed in separate, 'non-combat' incidents earlier this week in Iraq and Kuwait. Staff Sgt. Saul Fabian Gonzalez, 26, of Pullman, Mich., died Tuesday in Erbil, Iraq, and Sgt. 1st Class Emmett Wilfred Goodridge Jr., 40, of Roseville, Minn., died Sunday in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, according to a Defense Department statement. No further details were given as to the cause of the deaths, which are both under investigation. Gonzalez had been assigned to D Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky., while Goodridge was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. Both men had been supporting Operation Inherent Resolve at the time of their deaths. The operation is tasked with keeping the Islamic State at bay in the Middle East after the caliphate was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Deaths of U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East are increasingly rare following the end of the Afghanistan war in 2021 and a 2024 agreement between the United States and Iraq to withdraw U.S.-led coalition forces from the country by the end of 2026. But the area remains volatile, thanks to the Iranian-backed militia groups that can attack American forces in the region, with three Army soldiers killed in a drone attack on a small U.S. outpost in Jordan in January 2024. And since Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13, at least five U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria have come under fire from Tehran-supported militants, according to Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Long War Journal.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
How Does Israel Defend Against Iran's Missiles?
Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel on Friday, less than a day after Israel's military carried out a mass attack targeting Tehran's nuclear program and top commanders. With billions of dollars worth of sophisticated and multilayered aerial defenses, Israel has long been prepared for a full-scale assault by Iranian missiles and drones. Those layers of protection are now being put to the test, with Israeli authorities confirming that missiles hit multiple sites. In previous exchanges between the two countries, Iran mostly targeted Israeli military bases. But the scope of Israel's assault, which devastated Iran's military chain of command, could prompt a much wider Iranian counterstrike. 'One of the most effective tactics to inflict maximum damage on the Israeli home front would be to overwhelm its air defense systems,' said Joe Truzman, a senior analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Long War Journal. He said Israel will have 'only a brief window to detect, assess, and respond to this looming threat.' Here's what to know about Israel's defenses against Iranian attack. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
