From 8 to 140: Pentagon Acknowledges Human Costs of Iranian Attacks on U.S. Troops

Original article: De 8 a 140: Pentágono termina admitiendo el costo humano de los ataques iraníes sobre sus tropas

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Pentagon has confirmed that the number of U.S. soldiers injured in the first ten days of attacks launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran against American military bases in the region is significantly higher than initially reported.

The stark contrast in figures is revealing: from the 8 military personnel initially reported as seriously injured, the total affected now rises to at least 140 soldiers, as confirmed by Sean Parnell, Pentagon spokesperson. This numerical discrepancy not only reflects the scale of the Iranian counteroffensive but also the initial reluctance of U.S. military officials to disclose the full impact on their troops.

This situation marks a break from established transparency norms regarding combat casualties, which the Department of Defense has historically viewed as a pillar of its responsibility to the American public and the families of service members, a practice rooted in World War II.

In a statement, Parnell noted that «the vast majority of these injuries have been minor,» and 108 of the injured soldiers have returned to duty.

“Eight soldiers remain classified as seriously injured and are receiving the highest level of medical care,” the spokesperson clarified.

The decision by Washington to acknowledge the human costs of the Iranian attacks on its troops came after news agencies like Reuters, ABC News, and others pressed the Pentagon for its casualty figures, as sources familiar with the situation indicated that the number of wounded soldiers seemed significantly higher than publicly disclosed.

Delayed Acknowledgment from the Pentagon

Many common combat wounds are not inherently deadly but can be debilitating, such as traumatic brain injuries caused by explosives and missile and drone strikes.

After Iran launched 15 ballistic missiles at U.S. forces at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq in January 2020 in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the Pentagon under Donald Trump’s initial administration claimed that no soldiers had been injured.

Initially, the Republican magnate opted to downplay the extent of the damage but eventually had to admit that 110 military personnel had been injured, most with traumatic brain injuries.

U.S. Warns of «More Casualties» Ahead

According to reports from the U.S. Central Command, there have been seven U.S. military deaths during Operation Epic Fury, six in Kuwait due to Iranian drone attacks and one in Saudi Arabia. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that more casualties should be expected.

«The president has been right in saying there will be casualties,» Hegseth stated last Sunday in an interview with CBS’s «60 Minutes.»

«Things like this don’t happen without casualties. More casualties are coming,» he alerted.

Iran Claims More Than 500 U.S. Casualties

It should be noted that on February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The aggression, condemned by Tehran as a blatant violation of its sovereignty, resulted in over 1,330 deaths in Iranian territory, including 171 girls at a primary school in Minab in the south of the country, prompting Iran to launch a counteroffensive with missiles against Israel and American bases and assets in the region.

However, the Islamic nation has accused the Trump administration of a systematic censorship campaign attempting to obscure the human cost of war and the impact of Persian military operations.

According to Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, U.S. casualties could be significantly higher than reported by Washington, potentially exceeding 500 fatalities in the initial phase of fighting.

Larijani warned that any attempt at a ground incursion would face fierce resistance from the Iranian military.

‘The brave sons of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini and Imam Ali Khamenei are waiting for you,’ the Iranian official warned, in statements reported by TeleSUR.

As President Donald Trump does not rule out deploying more troops to the region, Iran has maintained a sustained counteroffensive with advanced missile and drone technology that has challenged Washington’s military hegemony, strategically impacting its military assets and causing casualties among its troops, which the occupant of the White House has been forced to acknowledge.