Revealed: Pentagon Concealing Number of US Troops Killed in Iranian Attacks
WASHINGTON — The number of United States military personnel killed since the war against Iran began is suspected to be higher than what is recorded in official Pentagon data. At least 2 long-standing reports indicate 22 US military personnel have died, while the Pentagon’s public database only records 18 deaths.
The report was revealed by The Washington Post, based on statements from six US officials familiar with the US Department of Defense’s internal casualty records. Five officials stated that at least 22 US military personnel have died since the conflict began on 28 February 2026. Another official suggested the number could reach 23.
This discrepancy arises because several deaths of military personnel serving in the Middle East are not listed in the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), the Pentagon’s public system for recording US military casualties. Two names known to be missing from the DCAS are Major Sorffly Davius and Sergeant Devin Seibel.
Davius, serving with the 42nd Infantry Division and stationed at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, died on 6 March 2026. The Pentagon stated that the exact cause of his death is still unknown.
Davius was deployed to Kuwait in the summer of 2025 to support Operation Spartan Shield, a US operation aimed at strengthening military cooperation with partner nations in the region.
Meanwhile, Seibel died on 31 May at Erbil Air Base, Iraq, in an incident related to training. He was a member of the Air Ambulance Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado.
The Pentagon stated that Seibel’s death is still under investigation. He was serving in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US military operation against ISIS groups.
Both deaths were not listed in the DCAS as part of the casualties for their respective operations. The Washington Post reported that at least two other military personnel also died in the Middle East during the Iran war but have not yet been included in the Pentagon’s public database.
The DCAS records 18 US military personnel killed since the war with Iran began. The official data also shows that more than 820 personnel have been wounded in the conflict.
Of the 18 recorded deaths, 14 fall under the category of Operation Epic Fury, the name used by the Donald Trump administration for military operations against Iran. The other four deaths are placed in a separate category named Overseas Operations, relating to the period following the ceasefire on 7 July.