The Pentagon has changed how it reports casualties in the Iran war, creating a new category for deaths and injuries since July 7 that makes it more difficult to tally the conflict's full toll, according to a New York Times report.Under the new system, the Defense Casualty Analysis System restored the deaths of four soldiers killed last weekend that had been removed from the website, but placed them in a new category labeled "overseas operations casualties starting July 7, 2026." This means a complete tally now requires adding numbers from two separate web pages.The change also raised the number of those wounded since July 7 to 207 — 142 more than previously reported — bringing the total to 624 since the war began on February 28.
The total number listed as killed is 18.Last week, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell insisted the number of US troops injured since July 7 was fewer than 100, while the Pentagon had not disclosed several Iranian strikes on bases that left dozens injured."Claims of concealment are fabrications meant to further distress the American people in the wake of three service members killed in action," Parnell said at the time.NYT reported last week that the Pentagon had lowered the number of service members killed to 14 from 18, prompting outrage among veterans, military families and lawmakers.
