The Pentagon cut its official Iran war death toll to 14 from 18 within a day, after removing four service members killed this past weekend. Military officials told The New York Times the four were struck from the count because they died after President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire in April.
The Pentagon lowered its official Iran war death toll to 14 from 18 in the space of a day, after the Trump administration removed four service members killed this month from the count. The figures come from the defense casualty analysis system, which listed seven of the 14 deaths as hostile.
Four deaths struck from the count
Three military officials told The New York Times that the four service members killed this past weekend — three in Jordan and one in northern Iraq — were removed because their deaths came after Trump declared a ceasefire in April. All of the deaths still listed occurred in March, according to the site, which said it was updated as of Wednesday.
The acting Pentagon press secretary, Joel Valdez, attributed the change to temporary disruptions in the website’s data that he said would be fixed quickly. The Pentagon and the State Department did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
Scrutiny over transparency
The revision came amid scrutiny of the administration’s handling of casualty data as the Middle East conflict drags on. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said on Monday that Trump has not shared Iran war casualty statistics with Congress. The Pentagon has released little on military strategy since the ceasefire collapsed and has not held a major briefing since early May.
Trump himself has kept using the higher figure. Describing a visit to Dover for four killed service members, he said at an event on Thursday: “one is too many, but it’s 18”.
Source: CNBC
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