Traumatic brain injury emerging as signature injury in Iran war: US official
Ohio Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Stephen Rhoades commander of Special Troops Command pins the Purple Heart medal on Staff Sgt. Aaron Futrell April 10, 2022, during a ceremony at the Army Aviation Support Facility in North Canton, Ohio. (Ohio National Guard)
(NEW YORK) — Traumatic brain injuries are quickly emerging as the signature wound of the U.S. war with Iran so far, echoing a pattern of post-9/11 wars, according to a U.S. official.
More than 200 U.S. troops have so far been wounded in the war, and at least 140 of those were TBI-related injuries, the U.S. official said. It’s a surge being driven by Iran’s reliance on one-way attack drones and the concussive blasts they deliver in strikes against American troops in countries across the Middle East, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Symptoms of TBI can be subtle at first but often linger for years, or even a lifetime, ranging from persistent headaches, fatigue, dizziness and vertigo, to more severe cognitive effects like memory loss, impaired decision-making and difficulty concentrating.
Veterans with TBIs are also nearly twice as likely to die by suicide compared to veterans without a diagnosed brain injury, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“If they’re near a blast, there should be no doubt they have a TBI,” Dr. Jayna Moceri-Brooks, who studies combat-related brain injuries, said. “You can’t escape from blast overpressure … symptoms can be debilitating.”
ABC News reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
TBIs have been widely seen as a signature wound of the post-9/11 wars, as insurgent tactics have relied on explosives to target U.S. troops. More than 460,000 service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries between 2001 and 2023, according to VA data.
While such injuries have been suffered in warfare for generations, it wasn’t until 2011, nearly a decade into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that the Army formally made TBIs eligible for the Purple Heart.
After Iran launched 15 ballistic missiles at U.S. forces at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq in January 2020, in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the first Trump administration initially said no troops had been injured.
That assessment was slowly revised by the administration, first minimizing the scope of the damage before ultimately acknowledging that 110 service members had been wounded, most suffering traumatic brain injuries, the kind of blast-related wounds that can carry lasting, life-altering effects.
In the years since the attack, Staff Sgt. Aaron Futrell, 44, who served in the Ohio Army National Guard, who was near one of the missile strikes at Al Asad, has wrestled with a cascade of lingering symptoms. What were once daily, debilitating migraines have only recently subsided to once or twice a week with treatment through the VA. He still deals with memory lapses, describing his cognition at times as “buffering like a YouTube video,” struggling mid-sentence to find the right words.
The first year after his injury proved especially grueling. Futrell said he was often overcome by extreme fatigue, going straight to bed after work and feeling as though he “lost a year” of his life. He was medically discharged from the Guard, where he served in aviation operations, and was given a high disability compensation rating from the VA.
Even routine settings can present challenges. Loud, echoing environments, like his son’s school, can trigger headaches, at times forcing him to sit out events from his car.
“I limit myself to some places,” Futrell said. “It’s learning what places might trigger headaches or be stress-inducing.”
The toll extends beyond his own health. “It has been a huge strain on my family and me,” he said. “I don’t look disabled. I can act like a normal individual. I’m good until I’m not.”
US President Donald Trump, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. The annual Davos gathering of political leaders, top executives and celebrities runs from Jan. 19-23. (Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(DAVOS, Switzerland) — President Donald Trump, speaking Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland amid heightened tensions with Europe, notably ruled out using military force to acquire Greenland.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that,” Trump said.
“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” Trump said.
Still, Trump said no other country can defend Greenland but the United States and said he is seeking “immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.”
“I have tremendous respect for both the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark, tremendous respect. But every NATO ally has an obligation to be able to defend their own territory, and the fact is, no nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States. We’re a great power,” Trump said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Richard Kahn, an accountant for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, arrives for a House Oversight Committee deposition about Epstein, in Rayburn building on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Members of the House Oversight Committee are set to depose a key member of Jeffrey Epstein’s inner circle who for more than two decades had a critical role managing his personal, financial and legal affairs.
Darren Indyke served as Epstein’s longtime attorney since the mid-1990s.
As Epstein for years attempted to avoid scrutiny while orchestrating a notorious sex trafficking operation, Indyke — together with accountant Richard Kahn — allegedly helped him navigate legal issues and formed part of the financier’s inner circle. Indyke allegedly helped facilitate at least three sham marriages between Epstein’s victims and withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash for Epstein, according to one lawsuit, and attested to Epstein’s character when he faced legal scrutiny.
“Knowing that they would earn millions of dollars in exchange for facilitating Epstein’s sex abuse and trafficking, Indyke and Kahn chose money and power over following the law,” alleged one lawsuit that Indyke and Kahn agreed to settle with no admission of wrongdoing.
Neither man has been charged with any crimes. They both deny any wrongdoing and say they were unaware of Epstein’s crimes while working for him.
The deposition Thursday comes as the House Oversight Committee attempts to zero in on members of Epstein’s inner circle to better understand how the disgraced financier was able to commit decades of crime with seeming impunity.
Following higher profile depositions of people like billionaire Leslie Wexner as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton, the questioning of both Indyke and Kahn arguably presents the committee with their strongest opportunity to learn more about Epstein’s life and crimes.
“I was not aware of the nature or extent of Epstein’s abuse of so many women until after Epstein’s death,” Kahn told lawmakers last week, according to his prepared remarks. “However, it pains me to think, and I deeply regret, that I may have unknowingly assisted Epstein in any way.”
Executor of Epstein’s Trust In a will signed two days before he was found dead in a Manhattan jail cell, Epstein named Kahn and Indyke as the co-executors of his estate and bequeathed them $25 million and $50 million, respectively. At the time of his death, Epstein’s estate was valued as much as $650 million. It was last valued at approximately $127 million, according to an October 2025 court filing, after paying out multiple settlements to Epstein’s victims.
As co-executors of Epstein’s estate, Indyke and Kahn recently agreed to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit brought by Epstein’s victims that accused them of “facilitation, participation, and concealment of Epstein’s illegal conduct” for their own financial gain.
According to the lawsuit, both men helped “structure Epstein’s bank accounts and cash withdrawals to give Epstein and his associates access to large amounts of cash in furtherance of sex trafficking.”
“The Epstein Enterprise would not have existed for the duration it did and at its scope and scale, without the collaboration and support of others. No one, except perhaps Ghislaine Maxwell, was as essential and central to Epstein’s operation as these Defendants,” the lawsuit alleged.
The settlement did not include an admission of wrongdoing and still needs to be approved by a judge. Though the lawsuit was brought against them personally, the $25-35 million settlement would be paid by Epstein’s estate, according to the settlement terms.
“Neither Mr. Indyke nor Mr. Kahn socialized with Mr. Epstein, and both men reject as categorically false any suggestion that they knowingly facilitated or assisted Mr. Epstein in his sexual abuse or trafficking of women, or that they were aware of his actions while they provided professional services to him,” an attorney for the men told ABC News in December.
Allegedly arranged sham marriages In a lawsuit filed by government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Indyke and Kahn were alleged to have helped facilitate at least three sham marriages created to secure immigration status for some of Epstein’s victims, further securing control of the women and ensuring they could remain in the United States.
“The victims were coerced into participating in these arranged marriages, and understood that there would be consequences, including serious reputational and bodily harm, if they refused to enter a marriage or attempted to end it,” the complaint alleged.
According to a civil lawsuit filed in 2019 by an anonymous accuser, one woman alleged that Epstein’s longtime attorney — not explicitly named as Indyke in the lawsuit — helped prepare the legal paperwork for the marriage, going as far as arranging photographs “to give the appearance that the marriage was legitimate.”
“When the victim inquired about getting divorced … Indyke tried to talk her out of a divorce and threatened that she would lose Epstein’s protection,” a 2024 lawsuit alleged.
Files released earlier this year by the Department of Justice appeared to reference some of the marriages allegedly arranged by Indyke and Kahn.
“Good morning Jeffrey! We are going now to get marriage license,” an unidentified individual wrote Epstein in 2013. “She is asking if it’s possible to meet with you? Because she has some questions.”
Withdrawing thousands in cash Court filings as well as documents released by the Department of Justice suggested that both Indyke and Kahn played integral roles in managing Epstein’s wealth and overseeing his regular expenses, including alleged payments to women.
According to the Virgin Islands lawsuit — which was settled by the Epstein estate with no admission of wrongdoing — Indyke and Kahn allegedly arranged payments from Epstein’s personal, corporate and nonprofits bank accounts to victims. That lawsuit alleged that Epstein — together with Kahn and Indyke — managed more than 140 different bank accounts.
According to documents released by the DOJ, Indyke served as an officer for many of the holding and shell companies related to Epstein’s real estate and financial holdings.
A 2020 settlement between Deutsche Bank and the New York state financial regulator also suggested that an attorney for Epstein — who sources told ABC News is Indyke — methodically withdrew cash for Epstein in a manner they said intentionally avoided scrutiny.
Limiting the withdrawals to $7,500 in cash — the maximum amount permitted and below the threshold to trigger concerns — Indyke allegedly withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars for Epstein over four years. While the transactions were below the $10,000 limit to trigger an alert to the Treasury Department, a report by New York State’s Department of Financial Services faulted Deutsche Bank for ignoring red flags about Epstein’s bank accounts.
Jail visits and a character reference After securing a plea deal in Florida, Jeffrey Epstein was visited in jail frequently by Indyke, according to visitor logs maintained by the Palm Beach Sheriff. Indyke also helped secure a lenient work-release program for Epstein by vouching for his employment, allowing Epstein to leave the jail for up to 16 hours a day, ABC News reported in 2021.
Prior to Epstein’s plea deal, Indyke also attested to Epstein’s character. According to a letter sent from defense lawyers to prosecutors in Florida, Indyke vouched for Epstein’s character and claimed that Epstein provided financial and emotional support to his family.
“Although Jeffrey was adamant that we owed him nothing, Jeffery honored us by agreeing to be the godfather of our children,” the letter quoted Indyke.
US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the White House, Washington, D.C., US on February 20, 2026. Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Monday continued to lash out at the Supreme Court, days after a majority of justices, including two of his conservative nominees, struck down most of his global tariffs as illegal.
In a series of social media posts on Monday, Trump wrote he had a “complete lack of respect” for the nation’s high court and that “they should be ashamed of themselves.”
“The supreme court (will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!) of the United States accidentally and unwittingly gave me, as President of the United States, far more powers and strength than I had prior to their ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive ruling,” Trump wrote.
“The court has also approved all other Tariffs, of which there are many, and they can all be used in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the Tariffs as initially used,” Trump added.
Trump will face some of the Supreme Court justices in person on Tuesday night when he delivers his State of the Union address. Justices are typically seated in front of the president in the first few rows, though their attendance is voluntary and several have skipped the event in recent years.
The court’s 6-3 ruling on Friday, which marked a rare rebuke on his administration, deemed that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not give Trump the power to unilaterally impose the sweeping tariffs he issued on most U.S. trade partners.
Trump has since sought to revive the tariffs, which were a longtime political goal of his and a centerpiece of his economic agenda in his second term.
Over the weekend, Trump announced he was imposing a 15% global tariff under a different legal authority: Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. But that authority is more limited, allowing the tariffs to last only for 150 days without congressional approval.
Trump’s repeatedly signaled he won’t seek additional action from Congress on tariffs.
“As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs. It has already been gotten, in many forms, a long time ago!” Trump wrote in a social media post on Monday.
In addition to Section 122 tariffs, Trump said his administration would open Section 301 investigations into unfair trade practices to secure additional levies. Those investigations can take weeks or months.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, said the administration’s “policy hasn’t changed” despite the Supreme Court setback.
“We found ways to really reconstruct what we’re doing. Now, it doesn’t have the same flexibility that the president had under the previous authority that he was using, but it gives us very durable tools,” Greer said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, said other tools will get the administration back to the tariff levels it had before the Supreme Court’s decision.
“We have been in touch with our foreign trading partners, and all of them want to keep the trade deals that have been set,” Bessent said.
Trump on Monday, in another social media post, threatened a “much higher Tariff” if any country decides to “‘play games’ with the ridiculous supreme court decision” that struck down most of his global tariffs — though he didn’t elaborate on how he would impose such levies.
Trump, while criticizing the Supreme Court’s tariff decision, also predicted the justices the could rule against him in other cases, specifically on the 14th Amendment guarantee of birthright citizenship.
The Supreme Court will hear an expedited appeal of Trump’s case seeking to effectively end birthright citizenship by executive order. Federal courts have so far blocked Trump’s order nationwide.
“But this supreme court will find a way to come to the wrong conclusion, one that again will make China, and various other Nations, happy and rich. Let our supreme court keep making decisions that are so bad and deleterious to the future of our Nation — I have a job to do,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
When asked after Friday’s tariff ruling if the justices were still invited to his State of the Union address, Trump said “barely.”
“Honestly, I couldn’t care less if they come,” Trump said.
In that news conference, Trump called the conservative justices who ruled against him an “embarrassment to their families” and the liberal justices a “disgrace to our nation.” Trump’s also heaped praise on the three conservative justices that sided with him on tariffs, on Monday referring to them as “the Great Three!” in a social media post.
ABC News’ Fritz Farrow and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
