Trump received the bodies of five soldiers killed during Operation Epic Fury at Dover Air Force Base

Donald Trump received the bodies of five U.S. servicemen who lost their lives during the war with Iran. The president led the event at Dover Air Force Base in Kent County, Delaware, from where their remains will be taken to their final resting place.

This official act is known as "dignified transfer" and consists of a military team lowering the American flag-draped caskets from the aircraft and placing them in a mortuary vehicle before identification and transfer. However, the presence of the commander-in-chief, in this case, Trump, is not mandatory.

Between 1991 and 2009, the Pentagon prohibited media coverage of these transfers to protect the privacy of the families. However, this policy changed in 2009 under the Obama administration, allowing the media to cover the event if the families gave the go-ahead.

The president was accompanied by the first lady, Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance,  Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, among other senior military officers and officials.

The bodies that arrived at Dover Air Force Base were as follows: Maj. Jeffery O'Brien, 45; Capt. Cody Khork, 35; 1st Sgt. Nicole Amor, 39; first sergeant Noah Tietjens, 42; and sergeant Declan Coady, 20. In addition, Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan, 54, is also believed to have lost his life.

Trump also received the families of the fallen servicemen, who died in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, while supporting Operation Epic Fury. They were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa, which is responsible for providing food, fuel, water and ammunition, and transporting equipment and supplies.

A day before the bodies arrived, Secretary Hegseth posted a message on his X account, where he assured that "these brave warriors gave their all in the service of our country."

"Our service members bear a responsibility and a duty most civilians will never come close to understanding. They know that the day might come when they are asked to risk their life in defense of their country. As Secretary of War, I stand with an unbreakable spirit to honor their memory and the resolve they embodied," the secretary of war wrote.

"To their families, loved ones, and fellow warfighters: We lift you up in prayer and pledge our unwavering support. Their deaths will not be in vain. We will honor them with action. (...) God bless our warfighters, their families, and the United States of America," he added.