At least 624 US military personnel have been injured since President Donald Trump launched military strikes against Iran in February, according to the Pentagon’s latest casualty update released on July 25.
The report shows that 417 service members were wounded during Operation Epic Fury, the codename for the initial phase of the conflict, while another 207 injuries were recorded under a separate category labelled Overseas Operations.
Although Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in April and signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June, sporadic attacks have continued, resulting in additional casualties on both sides.
The Pentagon recently revised its casualty records, transferring the names of four service members from the Operation Epic Fury death toll to the Overseas Operations category. Until earlier this week, Operation Epic Fury listed 18 fatalities and 482 wounded personnel. However, the number of deaths was later reduced to 14, with the four soldiers now recorded under Overseas Operations, which covers casualties from July 7, 2026.
The quiet revision has drawn criticism from some observers, who argue that changing casualty figures without explanation undermines public trust and transparency.
Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, who previously commanded US Army forces in Europe, accused the administration of failing to provide a clear account of the conflict.
“The administration seems to have a real hard time being honest about what is going on—not just about casualties, but about the whole war in general,” he said.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie also questioned the decision, describing the separation of casualties into different categories as an “absurd ruse” in a post on X.
Responding to the concerns, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the discrepancies were caused by temporary data issues.
He explained that the anomalies were being corrected in coordination with the various military branches.
Meanwhile, President Trump stated in a Truth Social post on July 21 that the Iran military conflict had claimed 18 American lives.
The newly introduced Overseas Operations category first appeared on the Pentagon’s casualty database over the weekend. It includes the four soldiers who died in July and reports 207 wounded personnel, although it remains unclear whether every injury listed is directly linked to the Iran conflict.
The four fatalities followed renewed hostilities after the interim agreement between the US and Iran began to unravel. Three soldiers were killed in an Iranian missile strike on a US base in Jordan on July 17, while a fourth died in Iraq during the controlled detonation of an Iranian drone.
Fighting intensified in mid-July, with US forces carrying out strikes on Iranian military targets while Iran responded by attacking American bases across the region for 13 consecutive nights.
However, the violence has eased in recent days, with both countries refraining from launching attacks since Friday, raising cautious hopes that the pause could create space for renewed diplomatic efforts.
BBC.
