Pentagon accused of hiding US Iran war deaths as Hegseth denies report

Pentagon has been accused of hiding the total fatalities in the US war in Iran by at least four. According to a Washington Post report, which cites five anonymous public officials, at least 22 US soldiers have died compared to 18 acknowledged publicly by the Pentagon. These reports have been denied by the US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth, in a post on X, called the report, “This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE.”

“Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media.”

Major Sorffly Davius, who served in the 42nd Infantry Division at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, died of “undetermined causes”, and Sergeant Devin Seibel, who was assigned to the Air Ambulance Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Carson, died on May 31 in Erbil Air Base, Iraq, during a “training-related incident,” were not included in the Pentagon’s Defence Casualty Analysis System, reported Washington Post.

Another official reportedly placed the figure at 23. He added that three US contractors who were based in the US CENTCOM region have died since the conflict began.

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The discrepancy has come under heavy scrutiny alongside reports that at least 820 US service members have been wounded since the conflict began. Some of the family members have reportedly said that they have faced severe bureaucratic hurdles while trying to access survivor benefits due to the classification of the Iran war as “not a war”, "intermittent strikes" or "small potatoes".

US Air Force Major John "Alex" Klinner died in a crash in Iraq in March, in an unspecified incident involving another aircraft while his KC-135 Air Force refuelling aircraft was in “friendly” airspace, supporting the war against Iran. His spouse, Libby Klinner, posted on Instagram last week that the Pentagon told her, “we haven't officially declared war”, so she and her kids aren't eligible for Death Gratuity and some other benefits.

"So, not only was my husband killed in a war he never wanted to participate in, but now the benefits we're left with are being dictated by semantics and public perception," she added.

JD Vance, the US vice president, was asked about her case at a White House briefing on Thursday.

"We want to be as helpful as we can and ensure she gets everything that she is entitled to," he said. “My message to her would be, 'We love you, we're grateful for the sacrifice, and we very much take very seriously our commitment to get you what you need to get.”

Beyond fatalities, families of the hundreds of wounded service members have accused the Pentagon of underreporting and downplaying the severity of injuries. Pete Hegseth publicly stated that nearly 90 per cent of wounded personnel suffered only "minor injuries" and returned to duty, though medical records and family testimonies from the Shuaiba attack on March 1, 2026 paint a different picture.

57-year-old Chief Warrant Officer Rodney Bearman, who suffered a concussion, hearing and vision loss, and permanent damage to his lungs, was classified as “not seriously injured”. Similarly, Sergeant First Class Cory Hicks, who suffered a complex traumatic brain injury (TBI) and extensive shrapnel wounds that required multiple emergency surgeries and long-term care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, was classified as “minor”.