3 U.S. Service Members killed in Iran operation, local leaders respond to strikes
Updated 11:27 AM EST, March 1, 2026
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that a new leadership council “has begun its work” after death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pezeshkian made the comment in a prerecorded message aired on Iranian state television.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the Al Jazeera network that a new supreme leader will be chosen in “one or two days.”
A massive explosion struck Iran’s capital Sunday as the Israeli military said it was striking targets in central Tehran. Earlier, Iran fired missiles at an ever-widening list of targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation.
What to know:
- Iran vows revenge for Khamenei killing: “You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address Sunday. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.” Trump warned that any retaliation would only lead to further escalation.
- Reported deaths: Iranian authorities say hundreds have been killed since the start of the U.S. and Israeli strikes. Eleven people have been killed in Israel overall, and dozens were wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue. The U.S. military says three service members have been killed and five seriously wounded in the Iran operation.
- Strikes were planned for months and feared for weeks: Tensions have soared in recent weeks as the Trump administration built up the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades.
South Carolina lawmakers are responding to the strikes.
Congressman Jim Clyburn released the following statement via X on U.S. strikes on Iran:
“The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war for a reason: to ensure that such a consequential decision is made only after full consideration by the people’s representatives of the case for military action, the plan for success, the potential costs, and any alternative options. The Trump Administration, in disregarding this constitutional requirement in attacking Iran, has put American lives at risk despite the apparent absence of an imminent threat to our country or a coherent strategy to achieve a successful outcome.
George Santayana famously warned, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In this case, we need only remember the recent past—events in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya—to expect that another major American military campaign in the Middle East will encounter significant challenges. Such challenges are more likely to be avoided, confronted, and overcome if the decision to engage in military action is made in a deliberative, transparent, and democratic manner consistent with the framers’ intent.
I urge the Trump Administration to make the adjustments necessary to align its actions with the Constitution, and I hope all of my colleagues of both political parties will join me in this demand. The lives of our service members and the security of our nation depend on it.”
Senator Lindsey Graham made the following post on X on Sunday following the news of three U.S. Service Members being killed as a result of the strikes:
“Like all Americans, I am heartbroken to lose the best among us — our men and women in uniform — in a struggle with a vicious enemy. To make sure that our service members do not sacrifice in vain, we must finish the job.
The cause of taking down the largest state sponsor of terrorism, the regime in Iran, is a noble cause and it must be completed. The worst thing that can happen for our military members is for their sacrifice not to count. It’s imperative we finish the job and sink the mothership of terrorism, the Iranian regime, forever.”
Candidate for governor and Congresswoman Nancy Mace issued the following statement on the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:
“The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei marks the end of a dark era defined by repression, extremism, and hostility toward the United States and our allies.
Under Khamenei’s rule, the Iranian regime funded terrorism across the Middle East, violently suppressed its own people, and denied women and girls their most basic freedoms. Protesters were imprisoned, tortured, and executed for daring to demand basic freedoms and democracy. His leadership prolonged suffering at home and instability abroad.
Today is not about celebration. It is about accountability and moral clarity.
The Iranian people, especially the courageous women who have led the fight for freedom, deserve a government that respects human rights, values peace, and chooses opportunity over oppression.
America stands firmly with those seeking liberty and will always stand for freedom over tyranny.”
Candidate for governor and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette posted the following on X:
“Praying for our brave men and women in uniform and for our incredible Commander in Chief, President @realDonaldTrump.
Unlike previous presidents, I trust that President Trump will prevent this from becoming another endless war and will restore peace through strength, as he’s always done.
God bless our military. God bless President Trump. God bless America.”
Candidate for governor and Attorney General Alan Wilson posted the following on X:
“Peace through strength. Now is the time for the Iranian army to stand down and surrender. God bless the United States.”
