US hiding actual count of troop deaths in Iran war? Pete Hegseth denies
At least 22 US service members have died since the war with Iran began on February 28, four more than the Pentagon's publicly disclosed figure, according to a Washington Post report. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected the report, calling it a "complete lie" and "fake".
"This is disgusting and fake. A complete lie. Shame on the Washington Post – they're worse than Iranian state media," Hegseth tweeted on Saturday.
The Washington Post, citing five US officials, reported that at least 22 US military personnel had died since the start of the war. A sixth US official told the newspaper that the number could be as high as 23.
The Pentagon's public Defence Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) listed 18 service-member deaths and more than 800 injuries as of Friday. The Post said not all of the additional deaths were directly linked to combat with Iran, but involved US personnel deployed in the Middle East during the conflict.
Two of the deaths omitted from the public database were those of Maj. Sorffly Davius and Sgt. Devin Seibel.
Davius, who served with the 42nd Infantry Division at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, died on March 6 of "undetermined causes". A Pentagon release said he had deployed to Kuwait in the summer of 2025 in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
Seibel, assigned to the Air Ambulance Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado, died on May 31 at Erbil Air Base in Iraq during a "training-related incident", according to a Pentagon release. His death remains under investigation. He had deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Fourteen deaths were listed in DCAS under Operation Epic Fury, the Trump administration's name for the war against Iran, while four others appeared under a separate "Overseas Operations" category.
The casualty database has faced scrutiny previously. Earlier this year, the Pentagon temporarily excluded the names of four service members killed during Iranian military attacks before restoring their deaths to the database.DEMOCRATS SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY
The discrepancies have prompted questions from Democratic lawmakers.
Senate Democrats on the Armed Services Committee pressed Hegseth in late July to provide a "full and accurate accounting" of US service-member casualties, saying DCAS had reported inconsistent figures and raising concerns about the transparency and reliability of Pentagon reporting.
Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee have also sent multiple requests for information to the Pentagon seeking an explanation for differences between the public casualty figures and other numbers, according to sources familiar with the requests. The Pentagon has not responded, the sources told The Hill.
Rep. Adam Smith, the committee's ranking Democrat, said on Friday he was aware of reports that the number of US service members who died while supporting operations in the Middle East could be higher than the Pentagon's publicly disclosed figure.
"Whether these additional deaths were the direct result of hostile fire or were non-combat related, they died while serving our country and each loss is a tragedy," Smith said, adding that the Pentagon owed Congress and the American public greater transparency about the "impacts and true cost of this war".
Rep. Jason Crow, another Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee and a former Army Ranger, accused Hegseth of "covering up" the deaths of US service members and contractors. Crow said he was introducing legislation with other Democrats to prevent the Pentagon from manipulating government casualty data.
The Pentagon's press office did not respond to requests for comment on The Washington Post's report.REPUBLICAN CRITICISES HEGSETH
Hegseth's remarks come as he faces broader political scrutiny over the Iran war.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth this week. He accused the defence secretary of high crimes and misdemeanours over the Trump administration's decision to launch the war against Iran without congressional approval.
Massie also cited US military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
The impeachment effort is unlikely to receive an immediate House vote after Speaker Mike Johnson sent lawmakers home early this week.
The Pentagon's public database currently lists 18 US military deaths since the start of the Iran war, while the Washington Post's reporting based on six US officials puts the number at between 22 and 23. The higher figure includes deaths that were not necessarily caused by Iranian attacks or directly connected to combat.- EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Sep 20, 2026 08:13 IST
