Jerusalem Post/Middle East/Iran NewsA total of 18 US soldiers have been killed and 756 wounded in the US-Iran war, a number that has risen despite recent ceasefire efforts. Follow us on GoogleAn MH-60S Sea Hawk prepares to land on the flight deck of the U.S. Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln which is supporting US military operations in the war with Iran, August 14, 2026. (photo credit: US NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)ByARIELLA ROITMANAUGUST 21, 2026 22:31The number of wounded or killed US servicemen in the Iran war jumped to 774 after the Pentagon added a new round of injured soldiers in the last few days, the Washington Post reported on Friday. Out of the 774, 18 were killed, and the other 756 were wounded, said the WP, citing the Pentagon’s casualty reporting system.The numbers rose despite an ongoing ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, although they may reflect a lag between an injury being documented in the military’s medical system and appearing in the casualty database, the WP reported.US considering scaling back military presenceAlthough the ceasefire expired on Monday, large-scale combat has not resumed, and the US is considering scaling back its military presence in the Middle East. US Navy sailors work on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington as it transits the Arabian Sea to support U.S. military operations in the war with Iran August 20, 2026. (credit: US NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)The pull-back would involve making defense cuts in the Persian Gulf and not rebuilding bases damaged by Iranian attacks.The report comes two months after several servicemen alleged that their injuries were more severe than their designations implied, creating a rift between what the Pentagon had revealed and troops’ personal accounts, with one sergeant claiming he “absolutely believed” that the Pentagon tried to downplay the strike in Kuwait that killed 6 US soldiers. Follow us on Google