Pentagon updates official count of US service members killed during Iran war - report

The Pentagon has officially updated its count of US service members killed in Operation Epic Fury from 18 to 21, following a Washington Post report that the previous tally may have excluded at least four service members. The update includes two noncombat deaths. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously called the report a 'complete lie.'

The Pentagon has officially updated its count of US service members killed in connection with Operation Epic Fury and the ongoing war with Iran, raising the figure from 18 to 21. The update to the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) includes two noncombat deaths: Army National Guard Maj. Sorffly Davius, who died in Kuwait in March, and an unidentified Navy suicide, according to a Saturday report from The Washington Post. The Washington Post had reported in September that the previous official count of 18 may have been inaccurate and that at least four service members were potentially excluded from the tally. Following the update, 15 deaths are listed as killed during Operation Epic Fury, and an additional six are listed as military deaths during overseas operations — a category created after President Donald Trump declared the operation had officially ended, despite ongoing hostilities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously called the Washington Post report 'a complete lie' and said the outlet was 'worse than Iranian state media.' House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith and Military Personnel Subcommittee Ranking Member Chrissy Houlahan released a statement Friday calling the mistake inexcusable and vowing to push for transparency and accountability.