Azernews.Az

Akbar Novruz

Read more

The bodies of four American service members killed during the ongoing conflict with Iran returned to the United States on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump joining their families at Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer ceremony, AzerNEWS reports.

The flag-draped transfer cases were unloaded from a US military cargo aircraft before being carried across the tarmac and placed into waiting vehicles. Trump stood in salute throughout the ceremony, which lasted approximately 20 minutes and was attended by the relatives of the fallen service members.

Speaking before departing Washington aboard the new Air Force One, Trump described the ceremony as one of the most difficult responsibilities of the presidency.

"For me, it's one of the hardest things to do as a president, but has to be done," he said.

The ceremony comes as the administration considers additional military options in the conflict with Iran. According to US officials, Trump has reviewed proposals to intensify military operations, including strikes on transport infrastructure, but has not yet approved the most aggressive measures.

Hours before arriving at Dover, Trump warned that the United States would retaliate against future Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, stating that Washington would "destroy" key Iranian infrastructure in response. He also shared a report claiming he had instructed US Central Command to "open the gates of hell."

Despite Trump's assertion that Americans support the war, recent public opinion polls suggest otherwise. A Washington Post survey released last week found that 68% of Americans believe the conflict with Iran is not worth fighting, while 28% said it is, reflecting growing public skepticism over the military campaign.