US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base.
Pentagon lowers US troop death toll in Iran war from 18 to 14
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The Pentagon abruptly revised its official tally of US soldiers killed in the Iran war, dropping the number from 18 to 14 within a single day.
According to three military officials who spoke to the New York Times on condition of anonymity, the four troops removed from the count were excluded because their deaths occurred after Trump declared a cease-fire in April.
All remaining deaths listed on the Defense Casualty Analysis System as of Thursday were from March.
Pentagon acting press secretary Joel Valdez offered a different explanation, attributing the discrepancy to “temporary data disruptions” on the department’s casualty website.
“The department attempted to explain the anomalies to The New York Times ahead of publication... We remain committed to ensuring the utmost accuracy of all casualty reporting,” Valdez said in an email.
The revision comes as the cease-fire has collapsed, with renewed fighting leading to additional casualties.
The Pentagon has provided limited briefings on the war since early May and has been slow to release details on injuries, citing “operational security”.
President Trump himself referenced the higher figure of 18 deaths shortly after attending a dignified transfer of remains at Dover Air Force Base.
“I had a very sad day yesterday. I went to Dover, four great American patriots killed. That’s 18 … and one is too many, but it’s 18,” he stated.
