The Washington Post reported that the number of U.S. military personnel killed during the war with Iran is higher than the official figure released by the Pentagon, citing six U.S. officials familiar with the department’s internal casualty figures.
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Five of the officials confirmed that at least 22 U.S. service members had died, four more than the number recorded in the Pentagon’s public Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) database.
A sixth official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the figures, said 23 members of the U.S. armed forces had died since February 28, when the Trump administration, in coordination with Israel, launched the war against Iran.
The official said not all of the previously unreported deaths were directly linked to the conflict, but they involved U.S. personnel who were in the Middle East while hostilities were ongoing.
The official also said that three U.S. contractors stationed in the region had died since the start of combat operations.
As of Friday, the Pentagon’s DCAS database listed 18 U.S. military deaths, including both hostile and non-hostile deaths, since the beginning of the conflict with Iran.
Uncertainty Over Unreported Deaths
Details surrounding the unreported deaths—including the identities of the service members and when, how and where they died—remain unclear.
Officials familiar with the higher casualty figure expressed concern that the additional deaths had not been reflected in the Pentagon’s publicly accessible casualty database.
The Pentagon declined to comment on questions regarding the discrepancy in casualty figures.
The war with Iran has also become a political issue for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November, amid polling indicating that the conflict has limited public support.
Earlier this year, the administration’s handling of casualty reporting came under scrutiny after the names of four U.S. service members who died as a result of the Iran war were temporarily excluded from the Pentagon’s official count.
Why Accurate Military Casualty Figures Matter
Accurate reporting of military deaths is important not only for public transparency. According to the Washington Post, when a U.S. service member dies, the military conducts an investigation to determine whether the death occurred while the individual was performing official duties.
The findings can affect the benefits and compensation to which the service member’s family may be entitled.
As of Friday, the Pentagon database listed 14 deaths as having occurred during Operation Epic Fury, the name used by the Trump administration for the war with Iran.
Four other deaths, listed under a separate category known as “overseas operations,” occurred during a ceasefire reached between Washington and Tehran in July, before the truce collapsed and attacks resumed.
Separately, the Pentagon said two U.S. service members had died in the Middle East since February while carrying out missions unrelated to the Iran war. Their deaths were also not listed by name in the DCAS database, despite occurring at two bases that had come under attack by Iranian forces.
More Than 820 U.S. Service Members Injured
The public casualty database shows that more than 820 U.S. service members have been wounded in operations since the conflict with Iran began, according to the Washington Post.
Many of those injured suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of Iranian retaliatory strikes against U.S. bases across the Middle East.
Calls to Review Pentagon Casualty Reporting
All deaths and injuries resulting from war-related operations are expected to be publicly reported through the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System, which records information on U.S. personnel killed or wounded in conflicts involving American forces.
During the summer, after the deaths of four U.S. service members in combat operations were temporarily excluded from the casualty database, the Trump administration reclassified renewed combat operations against Iran as “overseas operations” rather than directly linking them to the Iran war.
The change came as U.S. negotiators faced difficulties reaching a lasting peace agreement with Tehran and as the administration sought to portray the war as a success, while Iran continued attacks against U.S. forces and targeted vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Democratic senators have pledged to investigate the Pentagon’s handling of military casualty notifications if they regain control of the Senate following the midterm elections.
Source: The Washington Post / Agencies
