Around 100 U.S. Troops Injured in Middle East This Month; Pentagon Says 'Most Are Minor'

Approximately 100 U.S. troops have been injured in the Middle East this month due to Iranian airstrikes, CBS News reported on July 20 (local time), citing U.S. officials.

Sean Parnell, a senior Pentagon spokesperson, confirmed the figure to the broadcaster, stating, "Since July 7, approximately 100 individuals are considered to have sustained some form of injury," and explained that 96% of them have returned to duty.

He added, "The majority of the injuries are minor concussions."

CBS attributed the number of casualties to "a surge in hostilities between the U.S. and Iran following the collapse of a months-long ceasefire."

On July 17, an Iranian missile and drone attack killed two U.S. service members stationed at an air base in Jordan, and unidentified remains were discovered at the site where a third U.S. service member had been reported missing.

On July 18, one U.S. service member died in Iraq while attempting to control and detonate an unexploded Iranian drone.

The Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) reports 413 U.S. troops injured in action since the war began on February 28, but this figure excludes those injured this month.

In another section of the DCAS website, the total number of injured personnel is listed as 427.

Excluding those who died on July 17 and 18, approximately 14 Americans have been killed during this war.

Regarding the status of casualties, The New York Times pointed out that the Department of Defense is attempting to conceal accurate figures.

The newspaper reported, "In the days since the ceasefire broke, the Pentagon has provided little information about U.S. military strategy over the five months of the war," adding, "It did not mention U.S. troops injured in three separate attacks prior to the death of U.S. personnel in Jordan on July 17."

The report further criticized, "In a statement on July 18, U.S. Central Command announced that four U.S. troops injured in the July 17 attack were evacuated to local hospitals and have since been discharged, and that more U.S. troops with minor injuries have returned to duty, but it did not specify the exact numbers."

In response, a U.S. military official explained to the newspaper that Central Command is not obligated to disclose information about injured service members, especially those who return to duty quickly.

Spokesperson Parnell also refuted the claims, stating, "We have never concealed or distorted the number of U.S. military casualties during the war," and added, "The claim of a cover-up is a fiction created to increase anxiety among the American public in a situation where three service members have been killed."

He further noted that the DCAS is regularly updated with the latest information on U.S. military casualties.

The New York Times pointed out that while the DCAS provides cumulative totals, it lacks detailed information regarding specific attacks that result in large-scale casualties, such as the July 17 attack on the base in Jordan.

According to the Pentagon's casualty reporting policy, the identities of deceased service members must be publicly confirmed 24 hours after their families have been notified, while the identities of those injured in action are not disclosed.

(Photo: Screen capture from video released by SEPAHNEWS.COM, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.