The Pentagon's public database on military casualties now lists four U.S. service members killed in Jordan and Iraq in July under "Overseas Operations Casualties," distinct from 14 others listed as killed during the war with Iran. These 14 appear as casualties of Operation Epic Fury, the Defense Department's designated name for the conflict.

At one point last week, the four service members' deaths were included in the Iran war casualty list, but by Thursday, their names were removed, reducing the count from 18 to 14. The New York Times reported the discrepancy, citing sources who claimed the four were excluded because they died after a ceasefire declared in April. However, these four were killed about a week after President Trump notified Congress on July 7 that the ceasefire had ended and military action resumed.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, attributed the data issues to "site errors on the Defense Casualty Analysis System" caused by "a temporary data disruption." He stated that the anomalies are being resolved in coordination with military services and criticized the New York Times for "colluding with anonymous sources to push a completely fake story."

Earlier in July, the Pentagon initially classified two of three service members killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan as deaths under Operation Inherent Resolve, the mission targeting ISIS.

Following reports by the New York Times about dozens of troops injured in Middle East attacks, the Pentagon directed reporters to the casualty website, which had not been updated to reflect recent deaths. CBS News first reported, and Parnell confirmed, that nearly 100 U.S. service members have been injured since July 7. Among those injured, 96% have returned to duty, with the majority experiencing "minor concussions," which can include traumatic brain injuries with symptoms that may appear later.

Sources