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The Pentagon’s Iran war casualty count topped 600 over the weekend following a quiet update as the department faces questions about the absence of transparency around the number of service members killed or wounded in the fighting.
The Department of Defense (DOD) restored the death of the four service members killed by Iranian strikes last week and added more than 140 injured.
The Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), which Pentagon officials say is the accurate database for the injury and death updates of service members in the war, added a new category, dubbed “Overseas Operations,” for those killed and injured since July 7 this year.
Once the numbers from Operation Epic Fury and Overseas Operations are combined, a total of 18 service members have been killed since the Iran war began on Feb. 28 and another 624 have been injured.
The DOD has come under fire from lawmakers and the news media after the number of service members killed and injured went down in the DCAS database despite the Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in the region continuing.
“The Department of War is aware of temporary data disruptions on the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) website. These site anomalies are currently being resolved in coordination with the Military Services,” acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said in a statement Thursday, using the alternative name for the DOD.
“The Department attempted to explain the anomalies to the New York Times ahead of publication, but given their lack of knowledge in this area, they proceeded to write a non-story that will be fixed imminently. We remain committed to ensuring the utmost accuracy of all casualty reporting,” Valdez said, going after the news outlet for reporting that the number of U.S. service member deaths appeared lower on Pentagon’s website.
On Thursday, a group of 12 Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the department’s handling of the database
“Delays or inconsistencies in publicly reporting these casualty figures further impede Congress’s ability to conduct oversight and limit the public’s understanding of the operation’s costs. This lack of transparency undermines confidence that military families and the American people are receiving a complete and accurate accounting of the sacrifices made by those serving in uniform,” the senators wrote in the five-page letter.
Last Monday, the Pentagon said that nearly 100 U.S. service members have sustained injuries since July 7, which is when President Trump formally notified Congress of the new hostility restarting against in Iran.
“They are determined to get back in the fight,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said at the time. “The vast majority of injuries experienced were minor concussions. Further updates will be posted on the Defense Casualty Analysis System. God is good!”
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