Families of troops are killed in Iran war's deadliest strike boycott Trump's White House Gold Star reception

From the Newshound archive · first published 7 October 2026.

Only one relative of the six soldiers killed in the March 1 Iranian drone strike on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait said they planned to attend Tuesday's White House reception — a stinging rebuke as Gold Star families publicly pressed the Pentagon for answers about how the attack was able to occur. Joey Amor, who lost his wife Master Sgt. Nicole M. Amor in the strike, said he was "done asking quietly" and urged the American public to demand accountability. Troops who survived the same attack have also raised separate questions about why their unit was stationed at a location with inadequate air defences despite intelligence identifying it as a probable target.

The Iran war has now killed 19 US troops and left more than 800 wounded, with oil price forecasts rising again as the conflict drains global stockpiles.

Vice President JD Vance warned Iran it must make a "meaningful" cut to nuclear enrichment capacity to secure any peace deal, asking: 'If you don't want a nuclear weapon, why do you need 60% enriched fuel?'

Both Trump and Vance have publicly questioned who is actually running Iran following the death of Supreme Leader Khamenei, with Houthis meanwhile claiming fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia and Aden airport.