More than 600 service members injured since Iran war began — US govt

More than 600 United States military personnel have been injured since the outbreak of the Iran conflict in February, according to the Pentagon’s latest casualty update, highlighting the growing human cost of the months-long military confrontation.

Figures released by the Department of Defence on July 25 show that 624 US service members have been wounded since President Donald Trump ordered military strikes against Iran earlier this year.

Of the total number of casualties, 417 injuries were recorded under Operation Epic Fury, the name given to the initial US military offensive against Iran, while 207 others were classified under Overseas Operations, a category the Pentagon recently introduced.

The updated figures come despite a ceasefire agreed upon by Washington and Tehran in April and a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June aimed at ending hostilities. However, repeated military exchanges have continued since then, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement.

The Pentagon also quietly revised its casualty records last week by reducing the reported death toll under Operation Epic Fury from 18 to 14. The names of four service members previously listed under the operation were transferred to the newly created Overseas Operations category.

Those four soldiers are currently the only fatalities recorded under Overseas Operations. Three were killed during Iranian missile attacks on a US military base in Jordan on July 17, while another died in Iraq during the controlled detonation of an Iranian drone.

The unexplained revision of casualty figures has drawn criticism from military analysts and lawmakers, who argue that the changes raise concerns about transparency in reporting the conflict’s human toll.

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Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, a former commander of US Army forces in Europe, questioned the administration’s handling of the casualty data.

“The administration seems to have a real hard time being honest about what is going on—not just about casualties, but about the whole war in general,” Hodges said.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie also criticised the revised reporting, describing the separation of casualties into different operational categories as an “absurd ruse.”

The Pentagon has not provided a detailed explanation for the changes. However, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the revised figures were the result of “temporary data disruptions” and that the discrepancies were being corrected in coordination with the various military services.

The Department of Defence has yet to clarify whether all 207 personnel listed under Overseas Operations were injured directly as a result of the Iran conflict.

The fighting intensified in mid-July after the temporary truce between the United States and Iran began to unravel. American forces carried out strikes on Iranian military targets, while Iranian forces launched attacks on US military installations across the Middle East, resulting in nearly two weeks of continuous military exchanges.

Hostilities have eased in recent days, with both countries reportedly observing a pause in attacks for three consecutive nights, raising cautious hopes that renewed diplomatic efforts could prevent further escalation.

Despite the temporary lull, the latest casualty figures underscore the high human cost of the conflict and the continued uncertainty surrounding efforts to achieve a lasting peace between Washington and Tehran.

(BBC News)