Sources put the toll at up to 23, while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was quick to brand the report a “lie”
The number of US service members who have died while deployed in the Middle East since the start of the Iran war is higher than the Pentagon’s public tally, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing military sources. The Pentagon’s public casualty database may be missing as many as five military fatalities, according to the report.
As of Friday, the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) listed 18 US military fatalities, including deaths from hostile and non-hostile action since the Iran war began on February 28.
Five sources, however, told the outlet there have been at least 22 military fatalities, while a sixth put the toll even higher, saying 23 service members have died since the war began. Not all of the additional deaths were directly tied to the conflict, the official said, but involved US personnel stationed in the Middle East amid the ongoing hostilities. Three US contractors based in the region have also died since combat operations began, the official added.
It is unclear whether the discrepancy was intended to downplay the war’s toll or stemmed from administrative procedures for classifying military deaths.
The US administration’s casualty accounting already faced scrutiny in July, when the Pentagon briefly removed four Iran war deaths from its public tally during a since-failed ceasefire – three troops killed in an Iranian missile strike on a US base in Jordan and another killed the next day during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone in Iraq. The Pentagon blamed a data-processing error after the removals drew congressional scrutiny. The deaths later reappeared alongside some 207 wounded personnel, but under “Overseas Contingency Operations” rather than Operation Epic Fury, the administration’s name for the Iran war.
Separately, the Pentagon said two US service members have died in the Middle East since February on missions unrelated to the war. Sgt. Devin Seibel was killed in a training accident in Irbil, Iraq, on May 31, while Maj. Sorffly Davius died after an unspecified medical emergency in Kuwait on March 6. Neither is named in DCAS, despite dying at bases attacked by Iranian forces.
The Washington Post said the Pentagon declined to address its questions about the discrepancies.
Commenting on the report on X, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth vehemently denied its authenticity, calling it “a complete LIE.”
“This is DISGUSTING and FAKE… Shame on the Washington Post – they’re worse than Iranian state media,” he wrote.
This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE.
Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media. https://t.co/vU9OkSOnLB
Despite US President Donald Trump insisting the war has been a success – even claiming at times that “Americans aren’t against the war” – polling indicates growing public opposition. A September Reuters/Ipsos poll found 28% support Trump’s approach to Iran, while 62% disapprove.
The war has also deepened divisions in Congress ahead of the November midterms. Congressional Democrats have overwhelmingly opposed the conflict, making its multibillion-dollar cost and economic fallout – including gasoline prices approaching $5 a gallon – campaign issues. They have also pledged to investigate the Pentagon’s handling of casualty notifications if they retake the majority.
While most House Republicans have voted to block anti-war resolutions, some GOP lawmakers have broken ranks, backing bipartisan efforts to invoke war-powers restrictions or halt funding for the conflict. Representative Thomas Massie (KY) also moved this week to force a House vote on impeaching Hegseth, alleging he violated the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by pursuing hostilities without congressional authorization.
The war has cost the US $43.6 billion through September 3, including $28.1 billion in munitions expended, according to CENTCOM figures shared with lawmakers and the media on Friday. The total excludes extensive damage to US bases across eight Middle Eastern countries. Senior military officials reportedly warned Hegseth last month that prolonged large-scale operations against Iran were unsustainable.
Trump, however, insists the war will end soon, telling reporters last week it would likely stop immediately after the midterms. He told Axios on Thursday that he faces “a big decision” over whether to restart major combat operations to end the conflict.
Iran, meanwhile, has refused to cave to Trump’s threats, with Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warning earlier this month of “faster, heavier and more painful” retaliation against further US aggression. On Friday, Tehran showcased a new volunteer force that will receive limited military and emergency training to support the IRGC. IRGC chief Hassan Hassanzadeh told state broadcaster IRIB that over 600,000 people had registered, with more than one million expected to undergo training.
