US Pentagon Reports 100 Military Injuries Since July 7 Amid Iran Tensions

On Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Barnell stated that around 100 US military personnel have suffered varying degrees of injuries since July 7, coinciding with rising confrontations involving Iran. This statement followed reports alleging that the Pentagon concealed or delayed disclosing the number of injured US forces in the Middle East after an Iranian attack killed at least two American soldiers on Friday.

Barnell posted on the platform "X" that 96% of the injured troops have already returned to their military duties. He added that the vast majority of these injuries were mild concussions and indicated that any further updates would be released through the Department of Defense's casualty analysis system.

His remarks responded to a report by The New York Times claiming that the Department of Defense had hidden dozens of injuries sustained by US military personnel during the conflict with Iran. Additionally, CNN reported on Monday that the US military delayed revealing soldiers' injuries, explaining that this postponement aimed to protect service members.

The New York Times also reported on Monday that Iran conducted three attacks on Jordan in the week preceding the Iranian strike on Friday, which resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and the disappearance of another service member in Jordan. The Pentagon did not announce these attacks or their outcomes.

According to the newspaper, US officials said these assaults caused injuries to dozens of American soldiers and damaged several helicopters. The New York Times described this as the latest example of the tension between what the Pentagon calls operational security necessities and the government's obligation to inform the public about the war's progress.

The New York Times noted that US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in briefings following airstrikes on Iranian military sites last week that these operations were in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, without mentioning the Iranian strikes targeting US bases.

An American military official said CENTCOM is not required to announce troop injuries, especially when the soldiers quickly return to their duties. Another official added that disclosing such information could help Iran improve its targeting of US bases in the Middle East with ballistic missiles and drones, where thousands of American troops are stationed.

US officials also said CENTCOM stopped announcing the number of sites targeted daily inside Iran for the same reason. Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Barnell denied that the department concealed US casualty data in the war, calling the concealment claims fabricated and intended to increase American anxiety following the deaths of three soldiers on duty.

US President Donald Trump vowed that Iran would pay "many times over" for every American soldier it kills amid ongoing military escalation and diplomatic efforts to negotiate a temporary truce. He explained that the Defense Casualty Analysis System is regularly updated with the latest information on fatalities and injuries but acknowledged that the site shows aggregate numbers without details on mass attacks like those in Jordan last week.

He added, "Selecting abstract numbers out of context paints a deliberately misleading and incomplete picture." Since the truce collapsed, the Pentagon has provided limited information about the US military strategy after nearly five months of war, with the last comprehensive briefing occurring in early May.

The Trump administration has also not disclosed in recent months the war's impact on US stocks of advanced and costly weapons or Iran's retention and rebuilding of much of its missile capabilities. Casualty figures remain among the most sensitive issues. With the deaths of two soldiers in Jordan on Friday and another service member in northern Iraq, the total number of American military fatalities since the attacks began on February 28 has risen to 17.

Pentagon protocols require that the names of casualties not be released until 24 hours after notifying their families, and the names of wounded soldiers are typically not published.