Trump meets Gold Star families as Iran war deaths spark fresh questions

President Donald Trump hosted Gold Star families at the White House to honour fallen US service members. For several Iran war relatives, the tribute also highlighted unanswered questions about the March 1 attack.Washington,Oct 7, 2026 08:31 ISTRelatives of some US soldiers killed in the Iran war joined dozens of Gold Star families from earlier American conflicts at the White House on Tuesday, where President Donald Trump offered words of comfort and candles were lit for the fallen. The reception, held for Gold Star Mothers and Families Day, came as some families continue to seek answers about the deaths of service members in the war.The White House said this year's event honoured nearly 40 fallen service members from conflicts dating back to the Vietnam War. But not all families of the six soldiers killed in the deadliest attack of the Iran war on March 1 attended, and some relatives said they were still waiting for answers about the strike in Kuwait or did not get enough notice of the event. The war, launched on February 28, has killed 19 US troops and wounded more than 800 others.Michelle Tietjens, whose husband Master Sgt. Noah Tietjens was among six Army Reserve soldiers killed in an Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait, attended with her teenage son. She said, "I decided to go originally because my son wanted to go. But then I wanted to see what it was about as well. I wanted to also go to support my husband's memory."Tietjens said they toured several rooms in the White House and had a photograph taken with Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. She said the president told her son that he wished he had his full head of curly hair. But she added that the reception "didn't change my feelings on them giving me answers", and said she also spoke to someone at the White House who offered to try to help. She said she also saw relatives of Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, who was killed at Port Shuaiba, and Pfc. Isabella Gonzalez, who was killed on July 17 in an Iranian attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Families of those killed in the March 1 strike have said they are frustrated by the lack of information from the Pentagon. Joey Amor, whose wife Master Sgt. Nicole M. Amor was among those killed, said in a public Facebook statement on Monday, "There are questions about what happened before the attack, what information was available, what decisions were made, and what happened in the moments leading up to six American soldiers losing their lives. I am done asking quietly. Today, I am asking the American people to stand with these six families and demand transparency." US soldiers wounded in the attack told AP that their concerns about the threat had gone unheeded and that the military medical system failed them in the weeks that followed. AP said its account of the attack was based on interviews with 13 soldiers.The Army declined to comment on AP's reporting, saying the families of those killed had not yet been briefed on the findings of its investigation, which was completed in June. It said sensitive information was still being redacted before release. The Pentagon also declined to comment. John Thompson, a former Army sergeant and founder of Salute to the Fallen, said honouring soldiers killed in combat can be a powerful recognition of service beyond politics, but added that several families told him they could not attend because they were not given enough notice. The White House began sending invitations to Gold Star families, the military term for relatives of troops killed while on active duty, about two weeks ago, according to several families who said they were contacted by phone and email. Thompson said, "What they've told me is there has been a lot of confusion around this event, and they weren't given the details in time," adding that some were also not in a position to pay for the trip. At least two families said they did not receive an invitation, though tracing personal contact information can be difficult.Some Gold Star families have said they are grateful for the way the Trump administration and the military have honoured their loved ones. Others said the handling of the reception reflected a lack of respect for the price their families had paid. In the early days of the war, Trump described it as a "little excursion" and on September 4 called the conflict "small potatoes".Tina Marzan, the widow of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, who was killed in the March 1 attack, said she and her two children were not invited. She said that after her husband's death she had told federal officials she did not want to be contacted because of multiple calls, but had hoped they would still try to reach her or her family for an event like this. "We should be there," she said. "I mean, that's not a question." The White House said it honours requests not to be contacted. Donna Burhans, the mother of Maj. Cody Khork, said she did not receive an invitation but would not have gone because it was too painful, saying, "I just can't keep going thru this over and over." The White House said it had attempted to send invitations to Khork's family members. Libby Klinner, the spouse of Maj. Alex Klinner, who was killed in an Iran-related combat operation this summer, said less than two weeks' notice did not give her enough time to arrange overnight care for her three young children. She said she would not have gone anyway, adding, "I have no interest in supporting an administration that has been so reckless with the lives of our service members."The White House reception brought together families of nearly 40 fallen service members, but for several relatives of those killed in the Iran war, the event also underscored unresolved questions over the March 1 strike, concerns over notice and invitations, and the different ways families are choosing to remember and respond to their loss.With PTI Inputs- Ends