More US troops have died during the Iran war than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed, according to six US officials familiar with the Defence Department’s internal casualty records.
Five of the officials told The Washington Post that at least 22 US service members have died since the conflict began on February 28 — four more than the 18 fatalities currently listed in the Pentagon’s public Defence Casualty Analysis System (DCAS).
A sixth official put the number at 23, saying not all of the deaths were directly linked to combat but involved US personnel in the Middle East amid ongoing hostilities. The official also said three US contractors based in the region had died since combat operations began.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the discrepancy.
The identities and circumstances surrounding the additional military deaths, including when, where and how they occurred, remain unclear. Officials familiar with the higher casualty figure expressed frustration that the deaths were not reflected in the Pentagon’s public database.
The DCAS database currently lists 18 US military fatalities, including deaths resulting from both hostile and non-hostile actions since the start of the Iran conflict.
Fourteen of those deaths are recorded under Operation Epic Fury, the Trump administration’s name for the Iran war. Four others are listed separately under Overseas Operations and date to a July ceasefire between Washington and Tehran that later collapsed.
The Pentagon has also acknowledged two US service members who died in the Middle East since February while taking part in missions unrelated to the Iran war. Their deaths are not reflected by name in the DCAS database.
Sgt Devin Seibel died in a training accident in Irbil, Iraq, on May 31 while assigned to Operation Inherent Resolve, the US campaign against Islamic State fighters, according to the Defense Department. Maj Sorffly Davius died in Kuwait on March 6 following an unspecified medical emergency while serving under Operation Spartan Shield.
More than 820 US service members have been wounded in action since the conflict began, according to the public casualty database. Many sustained traumatic brain injuries during Iranian attacks on US bases across the Middle East.
The issue of casualty reporting has faced scrutiny since the summer, when four US combat deaths were temporarily excluded from the Pentagon’s public tally. The administration had reclassified renewed hostilities with Iran as Overseas Operations rather than associating them with Operation Epic Fury.
The Washington Post reported that US Central Command has estimated the war cost about $43.6 billion through early September, including roughly $28 billion in munitions used during the conflict.
The conflict has also depleted US stocks of precision weapons, damaged American bases in the Persian Gulf and disrupted global energy markets after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz.
The casualty figures have emerged amid growing political debate in Washington over the war. A September Reuters-Ipsos poll found that 28 per cent of Americans supported President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran, while 62 per cent disapproved.
On September 15, seven Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in supporting a largely symbolic House measure aimed at halting the war.
All military deaths and injuries are expected to be publicly reported through the Pentagon’s DCAS system. Democrats have pledged to investigate the Pentagon’s handling of casualty reporting if they regain control of the Senate after November’s midterm elections.
A group of House Democrats, including military veterans, said on September 18 that they were pursuing legislation aimed at preventing the Pentagon from altering government data on troop casualties.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky has also moved to force a House vote on impeaching Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, alleging that he violated the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by pursuing hostilities without congressional authorisation.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
