Pentagon Revises Iran War Casualty Toll: 18 U.S. Troops Killed, 624 Wounded

The latest update to the Pentagon’s casualty database has raised fresh questions about how information on losses in the war with Iran has been handled. The U.S. Department of Defense has added more than 140 additional wounded personnel to its records and restored the names of four soldiers killed in Iranian attacks after previous changes to the data sparked criticism.

The Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) database was updated on Saturday, bringing the total number of U.S. military casualties since the start of the war with Iran on February 28 to 18 killed and 624 wounded.

The number of wounded rose significantly from the previous count of 482, while the four soldiers who lost their lives in Iranian strikes last week have reappeared in the official casualty tables.

Backlash over changes to the figures

The Pentagon had come under heavy criticism after the casualty database showed an unexplained decline in the numbers of killed and wounded personnel while hostilities with Iran were still ongoing.

Twelve Democratic senators serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding an explanation for the changes to the official casualty figures.

Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez argued that the discrepancies were the result of “temporary disruptions” affecting the DCAS website. However, according to CNN, the Department of Defense did not provide any further clarification when asked for additional details.

The updated database now includes a new category titled “Overseas Operations,” which records personnel killed and wounded from July 7 onward.

The Pentagon has not clarified which specific military operation the new category refers to. However, the list of fatalities includes the three U.S. service members killed in Jordan in an Iranian strike, as well as another soldier who died in northern Iraq during the controlled neutralization of an Iranian drone.

War Powers Act also under scrutiny

The July 7 date coincides with President Donald Trump’s formal notification to Congress that a new military conflict with Iran had begun under the provisions of the War Powers Act.

The administration argues that the April ceasefire reset the law’s 60-day deadline governing the continuation of military operations without congressional approval.

That interpretation has been challenged by lawmakers from both parties. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski accused the administration of attempting to circumvent congressional oversight, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the War Powers Act as “100% unconstitutional.”