Pentagon raises Iran war death toll to 21

The Pentagon has raised the official death toll of US troops in the war against Iran to 21, incorporating two previously uncounted noncombat fatalities into its public records.

Late Friday, the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) was updated to reflect the higher figure, according to reports from The Washington Post and other outlets citing US officials.

The total now includes Maj. Sorffly Davius, 46, an Army National Guard member from Queens, New York, who died of undetermined or medical causes on March 6 in Kuwait while deployed to Camp Buehring, and an unidentified Navy service member who died by suicide in September.

Updated data show 865 service members have been wounded in connection with the operations.

Casualties are tracked in two categories: Operation Epic Fury, which began with US and ‘Israeli’ strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 and accounts for 15 deaths and 417 wounded; and a separate “overseas operations” designation covering the period since July 7, with six deaths and 448 wounded.

Officials created the latter category after President Donald Trump declared Operation Epic Fury concluded, even as hostilities continued.

The revision follows September reporting by The Washington Post, based on accounts from multiple US officials, that more service members had died in the Middle East amid the conflict than the Pentagon’s public database then showed.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected that coverage at the time, writing on social media: “This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE. Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media.”

Democratic lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee criticized the earlier discrepancies.

“There is no excuse for a mistake of this magnitude,” Representatives Adam Smith of Washington and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania said in a joint statement.

“The failure of Secretary Hegseth to immediately take ownership of the problem also does a grave disservice to the men and women putting their lives on the line in service to our country.”

Separately, the military recorded the death of Sgt. Devin A. Seibel, 26, who died in a training accident in Iraq in May.

That fatality is listed under Operation Inherent Resolve, the long-running campaign against Daesh and is not counted among the Iran-related total.

Including it brings the number of US troops who have died in the Middle East since operations against Iran began on Feb. 28 to 22.

The Pentagon has faced repeated scrutiny over its casualty accounting during the conflict, including earlier adjustments that temporarily lowered reported death figures and the introduction of new reporting categories.

A department statement noted changes to the DCAS system, including a “pending adjudication” category for records still under review, but did not directly address the revised death toll in comments to reporters.

Hostilities with Iran have largely been in a lull in recent weeks.