US concealing dozens of casualties from Iranian missile strikes: Report

A US media report says that the Pentagon has withheld information about dozens of injuries suffered by American troops after Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missile strikes on US military bases in Jordan and other sites across the region last week.

“Those attacks injured dozens of US service members and damaged several helicopters,” The New York Times reported, citing US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The report added that Iran carried out three additional strikes against US forces in Jordan during the same week. However, the Pentagon did not disclose these earlier attacks or the resulting casualties and damage.

A US military official claimed that US Central Command (CENTCOM) is not required to publicly release information about injured service members. Another official argued that doing so could allow Iran to more accurately target US forces in the region with ballistic missiles and drones.

The Pentagon has not held a major briefing on the war since May, leaving the public with little information about US military strategy.

On Friday, CBS News reported that Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan left two US troops killed and one soldier missing. The two fatalities in Jordan were later identified as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas.

Another US soldier was killed in Iraq.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also announced a surprise retaliatory strike on the US special operations command center in Syria’s Al-Tanf region.

US military authorities have officially acknowledged at least 17 American soldiers killed and more than 430 wounded during the aggression against Iran. However, the number of injured has not been updated in recent weeks.

On April 1, The Intercept reported that Washington was engaged in a “casualty cover-up,” noting that nearly 750 US service members had been killed or injured — a figure significantly higher than the official US count. 

Throughout the aggression launched by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Iran, the Pentagon maintained that “operational security” takes precedence over informing the American public about developments in the conflict, including military casualties.

US officials have also declined to comment on reports that the military is running low on missile interceptors, or to explain how Iran continues to launch ballistic missiles after Trump claimed earlier in the war that Iran’s missile capabilities had been destroyed.

In response to the deaths, President Trump said the troops had died “in service of our country.” He has also claimed that the United States is fighting the war to protect its Persian Gulf allies, although other reports suggest he launched the aggression under pressure from Israel.

Last week, Trump stated that Persian Gulf states should reimburse the United States for protecting them from Iran. He specifically named Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait as countries that should compensate Washington for its security role.

Critics argue, however, that the war launched by Trump and Netanyahu has instead placed Persian Gulf states directly in the line of fire, as US and Israeli forces have used military bases in the region to launch attacks against Iran.

Observers maintain that the Trump administration’s disastrous war on Iran has failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives. Instead, it has harmed the American people, reshaped West Asia in ways detrimental to US interests, and further undermined America’s global standing.

Public approval for Trump’s decision to launch aggression against Iran now stands at -30% among Americans.

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