<p><span class="has-underline">A review by The Intercept reveals that nearly 750 American</span> service members have been injured or lost their lives in the Middle East since October 2023. However, the Pentagon refuses to confirm these figures.</p>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the authority for military actions in the Middle East, seems to be conducting what a defense official termed a “casualty cover-up.” It has presented The Intercept with understated and old numbers, while neglecting to offer clear details on military fatalities and injuries.
Two government officials informed The Intercept that a minimum of 15 U.S. troops were injured Friday during an Iranian assault on a Saudi air base where American forces are stationed. In the little over a month since the U.S. initiated conflict with Iran, hundreds of American personnel in the area have either died or been wounded.
President Donald Trump, who attended the solemn transfer of the first American war dead in a blue suit, red tie, and a ball cap, declared that casualties were bound to happen. “When you have conflicts like this, you always have death,” he commented later. “I met the parents and they were unbelievable people. They were unbelievable people, but they all had one thing in common. They said to me, one thing, every single one: Finish the job, sir. Please finish the job.”
On Tuesday, Trump hinted that he would conclude the conflict with Iran within two weeks, despite failing to realize several of his declared objectives, including “freedom for the people” of Iran, “seiz[ing] Iran’s oil,” and compelling Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” The president had even previously proclaimed the war would endure “as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!”
“When you have conflicts like this, you always have death.”
Meanwhile, CENTCOM has been issuing outdated casualty reports, leading to underestimated totals. This includes a statement from spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins on Monday, indicating that “Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 303 U.S. service members have been wounded.” This remark, three days old, failed to account for at least 15 personnel injured during Friday’s assault on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The command did not respond to multiple inquiries for current data.
Furthermore, CENTCOM declined to furnish a tally of troops killed in the area since the conflict began. An Intercept analysis estimates this figure to be a minimum of 15.
“This is, quite obviously, a subject that [War Secretary Pete] Hegseth and the White House want to keep under major wraps,” remarked the defense official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly.
During the Biden administration in 2024, the Pentagon supplied The Intercept with comprehensive timelines of attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East. These chronologies detailed the exact outpost targeted, the nature of the strike, and the number (if any) of casualties, alongside a cumulative count of attacks per country.
In contrast, the Trump administration’s figures are deficient in specifics and transparency. The present CENTCOM casualty reports seemingly omit over 200 sailors who received treatment for smoke inhalation or other injuries from a fire on the USS Gerald R. Ford before its slow journey to Souda Bay, Greece, for maintenance. CENTCOM ignored nearly a dozen requests this week for further details on the casualty count and associated data.
“CENTCOM and the White House should be providing accurate and timely information on the costs and casualties involved in this war. After all, it is American taxpayers who are funding it and U.S. economic prosperity and economic wellbeing that is being undermined by it,” Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, a think tank promoting a balanced U.S. foreign policy, conveyed to The Intercept.
“CENTCOM and the White House should be providing accurate and timely information on the costs and casualties involved in this war.”
While the U.S. has persistently bombed Iran, Iran has retaliated with assaults on U.S. bases throughout the Middle East, employing ballistic missiles and drones. CENTCOM declines to even provide a basic tally of U.S. bases targeted during the conflict. “We have nothing for you,” a spokesperson informed The Intercept. Nevertheless, an Intercept investigation reveals that facilities in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates have been struck.
Hegseth stated on Tuesday that Iran maintained its capacity to retaliate against U.S. attacks, but asserted their strikes would be ineffective. “Yes, they will still shoot some missiles,” he remarked, “but we will shoot them down.” By Wednesday morning, authorities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar had all confirmed missile or drone assaults originating from Iran.
According to two government officials, Iranian attacks have compelled U.S. troops to withdraw from their bases and relocate to hotels and office structures throughout the region. The defense official expressed outrage over the Pentagon’s failure to properly fortify the bases and derided Hegseth’s prayer during a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday. “May god watch over all of them, each day and each night. May his almighty and eternal arms of providence stretch over them and them,” Hegseth had said.
“Why didn’t Hegseth protect them?” questioned the defense official. “Anyone with a brain knew these attacks were coming.”
Kingsley Wilson, spokesperson for the Pentagon, did not reply to numerous inquiries for comment.