HIDDEN FIGURES: When a U.S. servicemember dies in a war zone, the Pentagon follows a time-honored protocol. The fatality is announced as soon as it’s confirmed, but the name and exact circumstances of the death are withheld until next of kin is notified, in person if possible.
The remains are brought back to the United States and returned to the family in what the military has designated as a “dignified transfer ceremony,” attended by high-ranking military officers, often including the president, or vice president, or secretary of defense.
But when troops are wounded, they are never identified, nor the extent of their injuries disclosed. That information is deemed to be private, shared with the family, but withheld from the public — sometimes because the injuries are minor, or because the information is deemed to be helpful to the enemy.
At the same time, the Pentagon has also deemed damage from Iranian attacks — including the loss of dozens of aircraft, destruction of buildings and other facilities — to be classified. The rationale is that the U.S. doesn’t want to provide a “battle damage assessment” to Iran so it can assess and calibrate its targeting.
But the result is that not only the enemy, but also the Congress and the American public are also largely kept in the dark.
MILITARY IDENTIFIES TWO TROOPS KILLED IN IRANIAN ATTACK IN JORDAN
FURIOUS RESPONSE: The Pentagon’s chief spokesman Sean Parnell was infuriated by a New York Times report that noted that when troops are wounded in an attack where there are fatalities, the fact that other troops were injured is often included, while in non-fatal attacks they are rarely disclosed.
“The Department of War rejects these baseless and malicious accusations of hiding injury numbers as outright lies from partisan hacks at the New York Times who are desperate to smear America’s military and its leadership,” Parnell said in an invective-filled response posted on X. “Claims of concealment are fabrications meant to further distress the American people in the wake of three service members killed in action. Disgusting behavior, even for the New York Times.”
Parnell argued that casualty statistics are “publicly available and regularly updated” on the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System, which he says is available to the media and anyone else. Parnell accused the Times of “cherry-picking raw numbers without context” to paint “a deliberately misleading and incomplete picture.”
In a separate post, Parnell disclosed that over the past two weeks “nearly 100 service members were deemed to have some degree of injury,” but added, “96% have returned duty, and the “vast majority of injuries experienced were minor concussions.” Minor concussions can also be a sign of traumatic brain injury or TBI.
PENTAGON DISPUTES CHARACTERIZATION IT DOWNPLAYED RECENT CASUALTIES IN IRAN WAR
STATISTICS DON’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY: Parnell is correct that the statistics on the number of wounded are available on the obscure Defense Casualty Analysis System, and that “injuries in the military encompass everything from minor sprained ankles during routine training to incidents entirely unrelated to combat operations.”
But that’s part of the problem.
The raw statistics show 427 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Operation Epic Fury, but make no distinction between sprained ankles and serious life-changing or life-threatening wounds. They don’t say, for instance, how many troops had to be transported to U.S. military hospitals in Germany or Walter Reed for critical care. Only the family members get that information.
And nowhere does the Pentagon disclose the massive damage to U.S. bases in the region, including the loss of scores of military aircraft. In May, a Congressional Research Service report revealed a shocking statistic: 42 fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft were reportedly lost or damaged in the war up to that point, which undermines the Pentagon narrative that the air campaign is being conducted nearly flawlessly.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said even members of Congress can’t pry the real numbers on losses out of the Pentagon. “You know, I get reports from people who know a service member at a base in Jordan or Iraq or someone say, yeah, we heard there was an attack. There’s 20 or 30 people wounded. The Pentagon doesn’t say anything about it.” Smith said on CNN.
But retired Gen. Wes Clark, who commanded NATO’s air war in Yugoslavia in 1999, said he understands why military commanders want to keep that information close.
“I think we’ve got to be realistic here. Yes, there are risks, and it’s a terrible thing to lose troops, and it shouldn’t happen. The commanders are held responsible for it,” Clark said on CNN. “But we on the outside shouldn’t expect to know everything that’s happened to our own force, because the Iranians don’t know.”
Clark added: “We’ve watched this war in Ukraine go on for about four years now. And one of the things is you see is the Ukrainians don’t tell you every time they’ve lost a soldier. During World War II, we didn’t say, ‘Well, we had a battle at Kasserine Pass in 1943, and we lost 847 people,’ … We didn’t say that.”
“So why do we need to tell them that their missile hit five meters off dead center and only destroyed six bunkers instead of 12 or something like this? We shouldn’t be giving that information out. So I’m in sympathy with the Pentagon and the commanders who say, don’t release all that information.”
MILITARY IDENTIFIES TWO TROOPS KILLED IN IRANIAN ATTACK IN JORDAN
Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com.
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HAPPENING TODAY: A RECKONING ON CAPITOL HILL: Get ready for some fireworks this afternoon when the always pugnacious Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — or secretary of war as he prefers — appears before the Senate Appropriations Committee, along with three members of Congress, the agriculture secretary, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs to testify on President Donald Trump’s request to add whopping $350 billion dollars to next year’s already record-setting $1.5 trillion defense budget.
Democrats plan to use the 2:30 p.m. hearing, to excoriate the administration for the lack of progress in the Iran war, which will soon enter its sixth month.
“The thing about this senseless war is that there never has been a plan,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who serves on the committee, said on CNN last night. “The President said the objective was one thing, one day, he changed it to something else another day. And now we see more Americans killed, more Americans injured, more civilians killed.”
Van Hollen said: “The Strait of Hormuz is closed again … the Houthis are talking about closing the strait that goes into the Red Sea, and oil prices are going up and other prices are going to go up. So, you have the president, who promised the country he’d keep us out of war and bring down prices, doing just the opposite. When you’re digging a hole, stop digging. That’s what they should do.”
HOUTHIS DECLARE NAVAL BLOCKADE OF SAUDI ARABIA, ESCALATING CRISIS
TRUMP: IRAN WILL PAY MANY TIMES OVER! Fully aware the one thing that could further erode support for the already unpopular war is the loss of American lives, President Trump lashed out at Iran in a Truth Social post vowing retribution for the recent deaths of three soldiers, expected to four once a set of remains is identified.
Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!,” Trump posted. “This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military.”
At 9 p.m. last night, the U.S. completed its 10th consecutive days of strikes, and according to U.S. Central Command, the targets included “Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems.’
CENTCOM used to include the number of targets hit, but it has stopped doing that, apparently to deny that information to Iran. It was unclear how the level of attacks differed from the nine previous days of bombing, in order to fulfil Trump’s promise to make Iran pay “many times over!”
Yesterday a senior official gave reporters the following statement: “Right now, President Trump is focused on making Iran pay for their violations of the MOU and their continued acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, the President will make Iran pay for the recent deaths of U.S. soldiers. These devastating blows will continue until the President deems otherwise, but talks between our countries are continuing.”
TRUMP VOWS IRAN WILL ‘PAY’ FOR KILLING US TROOPS. WHAT COMES NEXT?
IRAN CONTINUES TANKER WARS: Meanwhile Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continues to threaten and hit commercial ships who try to transit through the southern channel that bypasses Iranian territorial waters.
A drone attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early today forced the crew to abandon the ship, even as the U.S. the strait is open for business.
“Commercial vessel transits through the vital international maritime corridor continue,” the U.S. Central Command said in its latest update. “Since early May, CENTCOM forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil.”
Iran keeps posting photos and videos of burning ships, while the U.S. military says its air campaign is methodically degrading Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial vessels.
“The problem we have is that Iran has dispersed its assets. It’s concealed them. It’s hardened them in some cases, and they’re tactical assets. They’re really hard to get at,” former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said on CNN. “You can’t keep continuous air presence everywhere, over, around, all the time. It just can’t be done. So their ability to attack assets in the Strait of Hormuz is continuous and has not diminished meaningfully.”
According to a new intelligence assessment described to the Washington Post, “Iran’s government is unlikely to feel significant impact or soften its negotiating position as a result of new rounds of U.S. military strikes.”
The report cites unnamed analysts as concluding that “Tehran and Washington are, for now, stuck in an indefinite limbo between peace and war … an uneasy dynamic given the increasingly deadly nature of the tit-for-tat hostilities between the two nations.”
TIMELINE: ALL THE INCIDENTS WHERE US TROOPS HAVE BEEN KILLED DURING THE IRAN WAR
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Pentagon disputes characterization it downplayed recent casualties in Iran war
Washington Examiner: Dignified transfer of US troops killed in Iran war postponed, Leavitt says
Washington Examiner: Military identifies two troops killed in Iranian attack in Jordan
Washington Examiner: Trump vows Iran will ‘pay’ for killing US troops. What comes next?
Washington Examiner: Houthis declare naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, escalating crisis
Washington Examiner: Trump signs executive order aimed at tightening defense supply chains
Washington Examiner: Timeline: All the incidents where US troops have been killed during the Iran war
Washington Examiner: Democrats resist push to add Iran to Russia sanctions bill
Washington Examiner: Burnham invites Trump to Manchester in first call as prime minister
Washington Examiner: Trump says he’ll soon meet new British PM Andy Burnham after ‘interesting’ call
Washington Examiner: Rubio alleges Cuba has been infiltrating US politics through DSA
Washington Examiner: Lockheed Martin announces plan for lower-cost Patriot interceptors
Washington Examiner: ICE arrests of criminals in NYC top 6,500 ahead of promised surge: Homan
Washington Examiner: Vance’s Secret Service detail strained by Iran diplomacy travel
Washington Examiner: ‘The bleeding wound’: Afghanistan revisited
Washington Examiner: Editorial: Rubio names the left-wing terrorism threat
AP: US and Iran dig in over the Strait of Hormuz, showing the limits of intensifying airstrikes
Wall Street Journal: Iran Missile Struck Housing Units for U.S. Troops at Jordan Base
New York Times: Pentagon Withheld Dozens of U.S. Military Injuries in Iran War
Washington Post: U.S. teeters on all-out war with Iran after more troops are killed
Wall Street Journal: DOJ Sought Phone Records Tied to Relatives of New York Times Reporters
Politico: Wes Streeting Named to Top UK Defense Role
Breaking Defense: Joining GCAP Would Not Impact Current-Gen Fighter Decision: Canadian Defense Minister
Defense One: Sweden’s Trio of Radar Planes Will Complement NATO’s 10, Says Air Force Chief
Defense News: Lockheed Martin’s Morfius X-Rotor Built to Fry 50 Enemy Drones in One Flight
DefenseScoop: Anduril Unveils Thunder Attack Helicopter, a New Loyal Wingman Drone
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Reservists Swear In as Space Force’s First Part-Time Guardians
Task & Purpose: Marijuana Still Off Limits to Troops Even if Federal Rules Change, Pentagon Says
Air & Space Forces Magazine: In First, TRANSCOM Operationalized AI Agents to Support Epic Fury
Air & Space Forces Magazine: York Confirms Health of 21 New Space Development Agency Satellites
Washington Post: Opinion: Ukraine is teaching Russia a lesson. The U.S. should take notes.
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | JULY 21
10 a.m. 1334 Longworth — House Intelligence Committee hearing: “25 Years After 9/11: Confronting the Next Generation of Threats,” with testimony from retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, former U.S. national security advisor, senior fellow of the Hoover Institution; Seth Jones, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Defense and Security Department; and Frank Cilluffo, director of Auburn University McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure http://intelligence.house.gov
10:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Navigating Strategic Competition: Senator Tammy Duckworth on the Future of U.S. Indo-Pacific Engagement,” with Victor Cha, president, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at CSIS; and Charles Edel, senior adviser and Australia Chair at CSIS https://www.csis.org/events/navigating-strategic-competition
11 a.m. — Arab Center Washington D.C. and the Center for International Policy virtual discussion: “Iran War Aftershocks and Reshaping the Regional Order: Assessing the US-Iran and Lebanon-Israel Agreements,” with Giorgio Cafiero, CEO and founder of Gulf State Analytics; Rola El Husseini, associate professor and researcher at Lund University Centre for Middle Eastern Studies; Neqar Mortazavi, journalist, political commentator and senior non-resident fellow of the Center for International Policy; Dania Thafer, executive director, Gulf International Forum; Nancy Okail, president and CEO of the Center for International Policy; and Khalil Jahshan, executive director, Arab Center Washington D.C. https://arabcenterdc.org/event/iran-war-aftershocks-and-reshaping-the-regional-order
4:30 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute virtual discussion: “Subversion and Seduction: A Conversation About China Economic Statecraft with Audrye Wong,” with Robert Doar, president, AEI; and Audrye Wong, AEI senior fellow https://www.aei.org/events/subversion-and-seduction-a-conversation
WEDNESDAY | JULY 22
10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing: “U.N. Accountability and Reform: Advancing an America First Foreign Policy Through Strategic Diplomacy and Burden Sharing,” with testimony from U.S. Representative to the U.N. Mike Waltz; and Jeff Bartos, U.S. representative to the U.N. for U.N. Management and Reform http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
10 a.m — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “How Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign is causing cracks in the Kremlin,” with former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov; former Russia Deputy Minister of Energy Vladimir Milov, vice president of international advocacy at the Free Russia Foundation; Natalia Arno, president of the Free Russia Foundation; and Anton Barbashin, co-founder and editorial director of Riddle Russia https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/how-ukraines-deep-strike-campaign-is-causing-cracks
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Is the U.S. Winning the Fusion Race?” with Bob Mumgaard, co-founder and CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems https://www.csis.org/events/united-states-winning-fusion-race
10 a.m. 215 Dirksen — Senate Finance Committee hearing: “The President’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda,” with testimony from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer http://finance.senate.gov
11 a.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “The Red Sea Threat to Global Shipping,” with retired Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, MEI military fellow; Marwan Mahmoud El Sammak, chairman of Ship & CREW; and Mirettte Mabrouk, MEI senior fellow https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
11 a.m. Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies virtual discussion: “Exploring the Landscape of Military Law and Best Practices for JAGs,” with Stephanie Fisher, senior appellate counsel for the U.S. Navy; Mark Majors, deputy general counsel for the National Guard Bureau; Michael Newton, director of Vanderbilt Law School International Legal Studies Program; and Jesse Burbank, special counsel for the Defense Department https://fedsoc.org/events/exploring-the-landscape-of-military-law-and-best-practices-for-jags
12:30 p.m. 1333 H St. NW — Center for American Progress discussion: “Stopping Trump’s Crypto Corruption: The Risks of the Clarity Act to Democracy and National Security,” with Sen. Christopher Murphy (D-CT) https://www.americanprogress.org/events/stopping-trumps-crypto-corruption/
2 p.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee hearing: “Charting a New Course: Countering China’s Dominance in Global Shipbuilding” http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
THURSDAY I JULY 23
9 a.m. Peterson Institute for International Economics virtual discussion: “Are Trump administration policies catalyzing European unity?” with Enrico Letta, dean, IE University School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs; and Nicolas Veron, PIIE senior fellow https://www.piie.com/events/2026/are-trump-administration-policies
3:30 p.m. 1800 K St. NW — Henry L. Stimson Center discussion: “The Path Ahead for U.S.-South Korea Shipbuilding,” with retired Adm. James Foggo, dean, Center for Maritime Strategy https://www.stimson.org/event/the-path-ahead-for-u-s-south-korea-shipbuilding/
FRIDAY | JULY 24
7:45 a.m. 300 First St. SE — National Institute for Deterrence Studies seminar: “The Israel Iran Wars: Missile Offense vs. Missile Defense,” with Uzi Rubin, former director, Israel Missile Defense Organization https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/dr-uzi-rubin-live-at-the-capitol-hill-club
10 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Taiwan’s National Mobilization Against the China Threat, with Chi-Chang Tsai, Yuan legislative member; Pao-Yang Shen, Yuan legislative member; Ting-Yu Wang, Yuan legislative member; and Miles Yu, director, Hudson China Center https://www.hudson.org/events/taiwans-national-mobilization-against-china-threat
7 p.m. — White House Correspondents Association annual dinner, with President Donald Trump, rescheduled from April 25
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