The Pentagon has not provided details on the incident amid scrutiny over whether it is understating the war’s human and financial toll
Eight US Marines were injured when an Iranian anti-ship cruise missile struck a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz that they were operating on earlier this month, NBC News reported on Sunday, citing sources. The Pentagon has not offered an account of the incident and is facing scrutiny over whether it is downplaying the number of casualties and costs in the war with Iran.
The Marines – seven enlisted personnel and one officer – were operating as part of a landing team when the missile hit, unnamed US officials told the network. The personnel suffered smoke inhalation and possible traumatic brain injuries, but none were seriously wounded, the report claims.
NBC sources said the Marines were not aboard a US Navy ship but did not identify the type of vessel.
The Pentagon did not provide an explanation for the incident. It took it nearly ten days to quietly add the Marines into the Defense Casualty Analysis System, a database that tracks injuries and deaths in the conflict.
Just last week, the tally abruptly rose by 37, bringing the acknowledged number of US troops wounded since the hostilities began to 861, with more than half categorized as casualties of ‘Overseas Operations’ rather than specifying the unpopular war against Iran.
Earlier this month, the Washington Post also reported that at least 22 service members died in the Middle East since the war began, compared with 18 acknowledged by the Pentagon at the time.
While it is unclear whether the Trump administration was deliberately downplaying the toll, or the discrepancy was caused by bureaucratic procedures, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth denounced the report as “DISGUSTING and FAKE.”
The dispute over the human toll has been accompanied by questions over the financial costs of the conflict. CENTCOM estimates the costs of military operations against Iran at around $43.6 billion, but the figure does not include the potential multi-billion-dollar cost of repairing US military facilities hit in retaliatory strikes.
NBC reported in July, citing people familiar with Pentagon assessments, that the overall cost could already be $80 billion to $100 billion when repairing bases, replacing destroyed aircraft, and fully replenishing weapons are included.
Iran has warned that it has “unforgettable lessons” in store for the US if it continues the escalation, saying it will only lead to “heavier costs and further humiliation.” Last week, President Masoud Pezeshkian told Fox News that Iran “does not seek to kill Americans” but will resist the pressure campaign.
