Three Iranian military pilots were killed in a US attack two nights ago, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.

Tasnim identified the deceased as Iranian Navy pilots Mojtaba Bagheri and Hamed Okati, and Hossein Mahdavian of the Iranian Air Force. The agency did not disclose the location or circumstances surrounding the attack.

The deaths come amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between the United States and Iran. Iranian media had earlier reported that navy serviceman Amirhossein Salimzadeh was killed while on duty in Khuzestan Province during a US attack on September 1.

Iranian authorities said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in US strikes carried out between August 30 and September 2.

The latest exchange of hostilities began with a US strike on Iran’s Larak Island on August 30, ending a roughly month-long lull in direct confrontations. The United States subsequently launched further attacks inside Iran, while Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting US military facilities across the region, including in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.