Iowa governor believes in US war with Iran despite 'sacrifice' by state soldiers who died

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday lamented the loss of four soldiers from her state since December, including two who died last weekend in a retaliatory drone strike in Kuwait during the early stages of the war with Iran.

“I believe in the mission right now,” Reynolds, a Republican, said during a news conference, her voice breaking at times.

“I think it was the right thing to do,” she said, referring to U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran. “Just look at what Iran has done over the last several years. Hopefully we’re in and out. I believe that’s the goal of this administration.”

Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, were among six Army Reservists who died. All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.

In December, two members of the Iowa National Guard, Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, were killed in Syria. The U.S. military blamed the Islamic State group.

“I can't imagine the sacrifice,” the governor said. “To think they're coming home and then maybe things have changed, delayed. We had some killed in action."

Reynolds said she spoke with Coady’s father and O’Brien’s wife.

“As you can imagine, they’re heartbroken and as Iowans, we grieve with them,” she said, adding that some injured soldiers have been safely transported to Germany.

ProCircular, a cybersecurity company where O'Brien worked, praised his “uplifting humor” and “calm guidance.”

“His quiet strength and expertise protected countless systems and left a lasting impact on everyone privileged to work with him,” CEO Aaron Warner said.

The military has identified other soldiers who were killed in Kuwait as: Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California.

Tina Marzan said her husband’s deployment was supposed to end in a couple of months, and the family had been planning to celebrate his April birthday when he returned.

This image provided by the U.S. Army shows Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa, in this May 16, 2025, photo. (U.S. Amy via AP)

This image provided by the U.S. Army shows Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa, in this May 16, 2025, photo. (Sgt. Brent Newton/U.S. Army via AP)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk continued to defend his actions in the months leading up to his 2022 purchase of Twitter in court Thursday as he faces a class action lawsuit claiming he misled investors and caused them to lose millions of dollars.

The civil trial in San Francisco centers on a class-action lawsuit filed just before Musk took control of Twitter, a social media service he renamed X, in October 2022, six months after agreeing to buy the embattled company for $44 billion, or $54.20 per share.

The case, which represents Twitter shareholders who sold the stock between May 13 and Oct. 4, 2022, revolves around allegations that Musk violated federal securities laws while taking a series of calculated steps to drive down the company’s stock price in an attempt to either blow up the deal or wrangle a lower sales price.

Taking the stand for the second day, Musk continued to double down on his assertion that Twitter had a much higher number of fake and spam accounts than the 5% it disclosed in regulatory filings.

The problem of bots and fake accounts on Twitter wasn’t new at the time Musk negotiated the deal. The company had paid $809.5 million in 2021 to settle claims it was overstating its growth rate and monthly user figures. Twitter also disclosed its bot estimates to the Securities and Exchange Commission for years, while also cautioning that its estimate might be too low.

But Musk and some outside analysts say the number was much higher, at least 20%. Saying the bot number was at least this high was like “saying the grass is green or the sky is blue,” Musk said.

Elon Musk, left, arrives for a Twitter shareholder trial at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Elon Musk, right, arrives for a Twitter shareholder trial at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Elon Musk, center, arrives for a Twitter shareholder trial at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)