Sources say the number of wounded American service members is significantly higher than earlier Pentagon disclosures as the conflict enters its second week.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
As many as 150 U.S. troops have been wounded since the start of the ongoing war with Iran, according to two sources reported by Reuters.
The figure, which had not previously been publicly reported, is far higher than the Pentagon’s earlier disclosure that eight American service members had been seriously wounded during the conflict.
The Reuters report said the injuries have occurred during roughly the first 10 days of the war, which began Feb. 28 when U.S. and Israeli forces launched Operation Epic Fury targeting Iranian missile systems, naval assets, and military infrastructure. Iranian forces have since carried out retaliatory missile and drone attacks against U.S. military positions and allied sites across the Middle East.
Following publication of the report, Pentagon officials said the total number of wounded U.S. personnel is estimated to be about 140, with the majority of injuries classified as minor. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the wounded figure reflects service members injured during “10 days of sustained attacks.”
Parnell said that 108 of the injured service members have already returned to duty. Eight troops remain classified as seriously wounded and are receiving advanced medical treatment.
Officials did not immediately disclose the specific nature of the injuries. Reuters reported that it was not clear whether the wounded included cases of traumatic brain injuries, which can occur after exposure to blast waves from missile or drone strikes.
Iran has carried out multiple retaliatory attacks since the conflict began, targeting U.S. military installations as well as diplomatic facilities and infrastructure across the region, according to U.S. officials.
Despite the attacks, the Pentagon says the frequency of Iranian strikes has declined as U.S. forces have targeted missile launchers and weapons stockpiles during the air campaign.
During a Pentagon briefing Tuesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said Iran’s military resistance has not exceeded what U.S. planners anticipated before the operation began.
“I think they’re fighting, and I respect that, but I don’t think they are more formidable than what we thought,” Caine told reporters.
The casualty figures come as the United States continues large-scale airstrikes against Iranian military targets while Tehran launches missile and drone attacks against regional allies, raising concerns about a wider Middle East conflict.
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