US Military Casualties in Iran Conflict Surpass 600... Death Toll Revised to 18

The U.S. Department of Defense has updated its official casualty figures for the conflict with Iran, revising the number of dead back up from 14 to 18.

After the official count of U.S. military fatalities was lowered from 18 to 14, sparking controversy over an alleged attempt to minimize casualties, the data was restored without a separate official statement.

According to U.S. broadcaster CNN, the Department of Defense updated its official website casualty tracker to record more than 140 additional injuries, while re-incorporating four service members killed in Iranian airstrikes last week into the death toll.

This brings the total number of U.S. military casualties since the war with Iran began on February 28 to 18 dead and 624 injured.

Previously, the Pentagon faced criticism for allegedly trying to downplay the war's toll by removing four U.S. service members—who were killed in subsequent engagements with Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire—from the list of the fallen without clear criteria.

Acting Pentagon Spokesperson Joel Valdez explained that it was a temporary data error on the website that would be corrected immediately, but the website continued to display 14 fatalities, fueling further controversy.

The Pentagon has also faced criticism for failing to immediately disclose dozens of U.S. injuries caused by Iranian attacks during periods of limited military exchanges following the ceasefire.

The Department of Defense has not issued an official statement regarding this matter and has not responded to inquiries from media outlets including CNN.

On the 23rd, 12 Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding a comprehensive investigation and report on the matter.

Controversy has also arisen over the Pentagon listing the start date of the war with Iran on its official website as July 7 instead of February 28.

This date marks when President Trump sent an official letter to Congress notifying them that military actions against Iran had resumed following the ceasefire.

Under the War Powers Resolution enacted in 1973, the U.S. President must notify Congress within 48 hours of initiating military action, and such actions are limited to 60 days without congressional authorization.

Consequently, U.S. political circles point out that the Trump administration may be attempting to bypass congressional approval procedures by pushing back the official start date of the war.

Speaking at a federal Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the 21st, Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski stated that it is "concerning" for the Trump administration to reset the timeline of the war, adding, "This avoids the congressional approval required by the Constitution and intended by the War Powers Resolution."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.