Trump warns Iran it will ‘pay a big price’ as US honors four fallen troops

Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base to attend the dignified transfer of troops killed during the U.S. war with Iran.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that Iran would “pay a big price” for the deaths of four U.S. servicemembers as he traveled to Dover Air Force Base to attend the dignified transfer of troops killed during the U.S. war with Iran.

“They’re going to pay a big price. They’re being decimated,” Trump told reporters when asked about reports that Iran had targeted U.S. soldiers’ barracks.

Trump joined the families of 1st Lt. Tyler J. Feehan, Sgt. Michael E. Swinton, Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales as their remains were returned to the United States. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., also attended the ceremony, according to the White House press pool.

Feehan and Gonzales were killed Friday at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Rampersad also is believed to have been killed in the same strike.

Swinton was killed Sunday at Erbil Air Base in Iraq during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone.

Speaking before departing for the ceremony, Trump tied the fallen servicemembers to his administration’s position on Iran’s nuclear program.

“Some of you are going with us to honor our heroes, and they are indeed great heroes actually,” Trump said. “All of them said very strongly, ‘We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.'”

The president also dismissed suggestions that public support for the war had eroded as energy prices had risen and U.S. casualties had mounted.

“A poll just came out. Americans don’t want high gasoline prices, but they’re not against the war. That just came out loud and clear,” he said.

Separately, Hegseth told lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that the U.S. war in Iran had cost $37.5 billion.

Following the dignified transfer, Trump was scheduled to travel to Marietta, Georgia, to promote his administration’s Trump Accounts initiative.

A White House official said Feehan’s family would accompany the president on the flight from Dover Air Force Base to Georgia.