After an explosive report by the Washington Post claimed that the Pentagon did not disclose the actual number of US troops killed in the Iran war, Secretary of War and the agency's boss, Pete Hegseth, has responded.
On Friday, WaPo reported that contrary to the Pentagon's official number of 18 US soldiers dead in the Iran war, four more have died, taking the actual death toll to 22. The report cited five anonymous officials in the US Army who claimed that the number of deaths was underreported.
Additionally, there is a caveat to the number that the anonymous officials have claimed. WaPo stated that some of the undisclosed deaths were not directly linked to the conflict in Iran, but involved US Army personnel deployed in the Middle East.
But Pete Hegseth has denied the claims, calling them a "complete lie."
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Is Pentagon Really Underreporting Iran War Casualty?
The Washington Post report notes that of the 18 deaths, 14 are related to the Iran war and four are displayed in a category called Overseas Operations around the time of the failed ceasefire between US and Iran in July. Additionally, two separate deaths are shown under missions unrelated to the Iran war, even though their deaths took place at US bases in the Middle East that were attacked by Iran over the course of the war.
{{/usCountry}}The Washington Post report notes that of the 18 deaths, 14 are related to the Iran war and four are displayed in a category called Overseas Operations around the time of the failed ceasefire between US and Iran in July. Additionally, two separate deaths are shown under missions unrelated to the Iran war, even though their deaths took place at US bases in the Middle East that were attacked by Iran over the course of the war.
{{/usCountry}}The report then goes on to name two US troops' deaths in the Middle East and raises questions around the circumstances of the deaths, especially whether it involved an Iranian attack.
The first of the two is Sgt. Devin Seibel, who died in Irbil, Iraq, on May 31. The US Department of Defense had stated then that Seibel died in Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS militants. The second is Maj. Sorffly Davius, who died from an unspecified medical emergency in Kuwait on March 6.
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What Pete Hegseth Said About The WaPo Report
Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, lashed out at the report by The Washington Post. Sharing it on his X account, the former Fox News anchor called it "disgusting" and fake.
"This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE. Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media," Hegseth wrote.