The Pentagon revised the number of U.S. service members killed during the war with Iran to 21, adding two previously uncounted deaths to its casualty database amid mounting scrutiny over the conflict.
The two additional deaths were classified as noncombat-related, according to multiple reports. They included Maj. Sorffly Davius, 46, an Army National Guard officer who died March 6 after experiencing a medical emergency in Kuwait, and an unidentified Navy sailor whose death in September was ruled a suicide.
The updated figures, published Friday in the Defense Casualty Analysis System, also show 865 U.S. service members have been wounded since the war began Feb. 28.
Davius’s death had previously been acknowledged by the military but was not reflected in the Pentagon’s public casualty figures.
The revision comes weeks after the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon had undercounted American military deaths in the Middle East. Some officials told the outlet that at least 22 service members had died, while another placed the figure at 23. Not all were directly connected to combat operations against Iran.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth disputed the outlet’s findings at the time.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo)
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo)
The Pentagon’s latest figures separate casualties into two different categories. Operation Epic Fury, the initial campaign against Iran, accounts for 15 deaths and 417 wounded. A second category, labeled “overseas operations,” includes six deaths and 448 wounded since July 7.
The distinction emerged after the Trump administration classified the Iran war as an “overseas operation” in July. At the time, a ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed. The administration declared Operation Epic Fury was over in May.
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The New York Times reported in July that four service members had been removed from the initial casualty tally, reducing the death count from 18 to 14. The Pentagon subsequently restored those deaths under the separate overseas operations designation as criticism mounted over its casualty reporting practices.
The latest update also includes the previously uncounted death of Sgt. Davin Seibel, who died in a May training accident in Iraq. His death was classified under Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against the Islamic State, bringing the total number of U.S. military deaths in the Middle East since February to at least 22.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
