Did US refuse payout for soldier killed in Iran War? Pentagon faces fresh scrutiny | Gravitas

As Tehran continues to resist US pressure, Pentagon has come in for fresh criticism. It has now been accused of trying to deny benefits to families of US soldiers who have died in the Iran war.

This came to light after Libby Klinner, the widow of Major Alex Klinner, voiced her frustration on social media.

She was reportedly told by a military officer that she was ineligible for certain combat-related benefits, citing that US is technically not at war.

Major Klinner was one of the six crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq in March.

After her social media post went viral, US Air Force officials contacted her to initiate a review of her husband’s pay. Subsequently, they clarified that she would be receiving the full pay and benefits her husband was owed, including hazard pay as well as combat-related tax breaks.

In wake of this, Libby Klinner urged everyone to ensure that every martyr's family should get clarity on the benefits from the outset.

18 US military personnel have been killed and 780 others have been wounded since the beginning of the Iran war.

Also, multiple bases across West Asia have suffered damage running into billions of dollars due to Iranian retaliatory strikes.

The American leadership has been trying to downplay the Iran war ahead of November's midterm elections.

For instance, US Vice President JD Vance rejected using the word 'war' to characterise US operations in Iran, saying that there was no active shooting.

US President Donald Trump also backed Vance's stance, adding that the operation against Iran is 'small potatoes' for America.

Now, after CENTCOM forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers over the weekend in response to IRGC's ballistic missile attack on US warships, Tehran issued a stern warning.

Iran's parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasised that every violation of his country's security and assets will be met with a faster, heavier and more painful response...

This is not all.

Iran wants to further strengthen its stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview, Iran's supreme national security council head, Mohsen Rezai, announced that Tehran will soon announce a restricted zone outside Hormuz.

Any vessel entering this zone will be placed on Iran's sanctions list.

Amid this, Iran also revealed that its negotiations with Oman regarding designating a safe route for passage of ships through Hormuz have reached the final stage...

While there has been a temporary lull in attacks between US and Iran, Israel has intensified its attacks on Lebanon. Plumes of smoke were seen after a barrage of artillery fire by Israel.

In overnight air strikes by IDF on a village in southern Lebanon, at least eleven people, including two children, were killed. Visuals showed a spate of destruction.

Rescuers were seen desperately trying to search for survivors amid the rubble...

Now, as depleting weapon stockpiles haunt US and West Asia continues to bear the brunt of Iran's retaliatory strikes, is there a growing rethink on America's role in the region?

Qatar, for instance, advocated a focus on self-sufficiency.

As US struggles to break the stalemate, former Pentagon chief Leon Panetta issued a warning.

He opined that the Iran war risks becoming another 'forever war' in West Asia and is likely to continue for six more months without being resolved...