Pentagon revises Iran war casualty count to 14, removing four service members
The Department of Defense lowered its official death toll for the Iran conflict from 18 to 14 after four service members killed after a declared ceasefire were removed from the casualty database.
The Pentagon’s casualty database now lists 14 U.S. service members killed in the Iran war, down from 18 previously reported. Seven of the deaths are classified as hostile. The revision follows the removal of four personnel who died in Jordan and northern Iraq after President Donald Trump announced a cease-fire in April, according to three military officials briefed by The New York Times.
"The change is due to temporary data disruptions on the department's casualty website and will be corrected quickly," said Joel Valdez, the acting Pentagon press secretary.
The update arrives as lawmakers and observers question the administration’s handling of casualty reporting. Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) noted that the President has not provided Congress with comprehensive casualty statistics and criticized a lack of transparency.
The Pentagon and State Department did not respond to requests for comment. The revised figures were posted on the defense casualty analysis system and reflect deaths that occurred in March, with no incidents listed after that month.