President Donald Trump plans to attend the dignified transfer of six American service members killed in an Iranian attack tied to Operation Epic Fury, the White House said Wednesday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump intends to travel for the ceremony as the War Department finalizes the timing and location.

The deaths were the first publicly confirmed U.S. fatalities of the widening conflict with Iran.

Leavitt said Trump would go to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for the solemn transfer, while other reporting said the transfer was expected at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, underscoring that military officials had not yet publicly locked in details.

"These heroes represent the very best among us. They laid down their lives in defense of our country, and we will never forget their legacy or their sacrifice," Leavitt said during the briefing.

"As the president said, we grieve for these American patriots and their families as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives," she continued.

U.S. officials have said the six were killed in an Iranian drone strike while stationed in Kuwait as part of Operation Epic Fury, a U.S.-led campaign that the administration says is aimed at sharply degrading Iran's military capability and deterring further attacks across the region.

Operation Epic Fury was announced Feb. 28 amid escalating regional tensions, sparking renewed debate in Congress over the president's authority to conduct sustained military action without additional authorization.

The deaths have intensified scrutiny of the administration's strategy and public messaging as lawmakers and outside critics press the White House and the Pentagon for clearer explanations of objectives, risks, and the expected duration of the operation.

At the Pentagon earlier Wednesday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized press coverage of the fatalities and suggested headlines distort how military operations unfold in real time.

"When a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it's front-page news," Hegseth told reporters," he said. "I get it.

"The press only wants to make the president look bad. But try for once to report the reality."

Pressed later by CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins on whether Hegseth's remarks reflected official White House policy, Leavitt said they did not.

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