Washington, Sept. 19 (SANA) The number of US military personnel who have died in the Middle East during the war with Iran is higher than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed, according to a Washington Post report disputed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The newspaper, citing US officials familiar with the Defense Department’s internal casualty data, reported that at least 22 service members have died since the conflict began, four more than the 18 deaths listed in the Pentagon’s public Defense Casualty Analysis System as of Friday. One official put the number at 23.
The Post said not all of the additional deaths were necessarily caused directly by the fighting, but involved US personnel serving in the Middle East during the hostilities. Details about the unlisted deaths, including their circumstances and locations, remain unclear.
Hegseth rejected the report, calling it “a complete LIE” in a post on X. The Washington Post said the Pentagon declined to answer its questions about the discrepancy in casualty accounting.
The Pentagon’s public database lists 18 US military fatalities and more than 830 wounded during the conflict, according to an Associated Press report citing the casualty system.
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