Pentagon Raises US Iran War Toll to 21 Amid Underreporting Concerns

By Staff, Agencies

The Pentagon has revised its previously underreported US military death toll linked to the war on Iran, raising the official count to 21, with 865 service members wounded.

Initially, the Defense Casualty Analysis System [DCAS] listed 18 deaths since the war began on February 28. Last month, The Washington Post, citing six US officials, reported that the database understated the toll, a claim Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dismissed as “a complete lie.”

On Friday, the database added Army National Guard Maj. Sorffly Davius, 46, who died in Kuwait on March 6, and an unidentified Navy member who died by suicide in September. It also included Sgt. Devin A. Seibel, 26, who died in a training accident in Iraq in May. Although the military did not link his death to the war against Iran, his inclusion brought the broader number of US military deaths in the Middle East since February 28 to 22, matching the newspaper’s previous report.

Democratic Representatives Adam Smith and Chrissy Houlahan called the inaccurate tally “an embarrassment,” declaring that “there is no excuse for a mistake of this magnitude.”

The Pentagon declined to address the revisions, reiterating its commitment to accurate casualty reporting.

Meanwhile, the US Navy disclosed last month that eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a ten-month deployment that included the war on Iran, amid reports of burnout, declining morale, and shortages of food and basic supplies.

Despite President Donald Trump’s claims of success, a September Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 62% of Americans disapproved of war against Iran.

The war has also intensified political divisions ahead of November’s midterm elections, with US Central Command estimating its cost at $43.6 billion through September 3, according to figures reviewed by the Associated Press.

Trump previously said the war would end immediately after the election but later told Axios he faced a “big decision” on whether to resume major attacks.

Meanwhile, during a Friday call, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the possibility of a diplomatic settlement and renewed Moscow’s offer to accept Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.

Trump welcomed Russia’s involvement, according to presidential aide Yury Ushakov.