"Casualty Cover-up”: The Pentagon Is Hiding U.S. Losses Under Trump In The Middle East

Almost 750 U.S. troops have been wounded or killed in the Middle East since October 2023, an analysis by The Intercept has found. But the Pentagon won’t acknowledge it.

U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, appears to be engaged in what a defense official called a “casualty cover-up,” offering The Intercept low-ball and outdated figures and failing to provide clarifications on military deaths and injuries.

At least 15 U.S. troops were wounded Friday in an Iranian attack on a Saudi air base that hosts American troops, according to two government officials who spoke with The Intercept. Hundreds of U.S. personnel have been killed or injured in the region since the U.S. launched a war on Iran just over a month ago.

President Donald Trump — who wore a blue suit, red tie, and a ball cap to the dignified transfer of the first Americans killed in the war — said casualties were inevitable. “When you have conflicts like this, you always have death,” he said afterward. “I met the parents and they were unbelievable people. They were unbelievable people, but they all had one thing in common. They said to me, one thing, every single one: Finish the job, sir. Please finish the job.”

On Tuesday, Trump teased that he would wind down the war with Iran in as little as two weeks despite not achieving many of his stated aims, such as “freedom for the people” of Iran, “tak[ing] the oil in Iran,” and forcing Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” At one point, the president even declared that the war would last “as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!”

CENTCOM has sent outdated statements on casualty numbers, meanwhile, resulting in undercounts, including a statement sent Monday from spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins noting that “Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 303 U.S. service members have been wounded.” The comment was three days old and excluded at least 15 wounded in the Friday attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The command did not reply to repeated requests for updated figures.

CENTCOM also would not provide a count of troops who have died in the region since the start of the war. An Intercept analysis puts the number at no less than 15.

“This is, quite obviously, a subject that [War Secretary Pete] Hegseth and the White House want to keep under major wraps,” said the defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak frankly.

In 2024, during the Biden administration, the Pentagon provided The Intercept with detailed chronologies of attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East that listed the specific outpost that was attacked, the type of strike, and whether — or how many — casualties resulted, along with an aggregate count of attacks by country.

The Trump administration’s numbers, by comparison, lack detail and clarity. The current CENTCOM casualty figures do not appear to include more than 200 sailors treated for smoke inhalation or otherwise injured due to a fire that raged aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford before it limped off to Souda Bay, Greece, for repairs. CENTCOM did not reply to close to a dozen requests for clarification on the casualty count and related information sent this week.

🔗SOURCE ➡️ Theintercept

Related: 4/3 — 🚨🇺🇸 WHITE HOUSE SPLIT: Iran war tears Trump’s team apart

▪️Leaks from the Pentagon suggest real US casualties may already exceed 750, with attempts to cover up losses.

3/30 — Report: Pentagon Prepares For ‘Weeks’ Of Ground Operations In Iran

3/4 — All Of Our Bases Have Been Destroyed, Says Former U.S. Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor

3/2 — —❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 BREAKING: U.S. CENTCOM announces the death toll of American soldiers has risen to 6

3/1 — Live Updates: Trump Admits 'We Expect Casualties' In Iran Attacks, Argues It Will Be 'a Great Deal' Despite Losses

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❗️Israel openly abandons initial goal of 'disarming Hezbollah,' shifts strategy to containment and 'buffer zones'

Based on reports by Ynet, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, and Israel National News, among others, Israel has effectively abandoned its initial objective of fully disarming Hezbollah, now describing the goal as unrealistic under current conditions.

Israeli army officials acknowledge that dismantling Hezbollah would require a full-scale occupation of Lebanon and the ability to reach every village, an undertaking they are neither prepared nor willing to pursue. Instead, the stated aim has now shifted toward weakening the resistance movement's capabilities and establishing a "defensive" reality along the border, reflecting a recalibration after weeks of sustained rocket fire and ongoing ground confrontations in southern Lebanon.

In place of disarmament, the Israeli army is now reportedly advancing a strategy centered on creating so-called "buffer zones" and degrading Hezbollah’s operational infrastructure. Plans include seizing and holding terrain up to the Litani River, demolishing structures in frontline villages suspected of hosting resistance activity, and establishing layered "security zones" extending several kilometers into Lebanese territory. Military officials have emphasized a transition toward “mobile defense” rather than long term static occupation, while continuing attacks on infrastructure, weapons depots, and senior operatives.

At the same time, Israeli forces report ongoing incursions involving multiple divisions in southern Lebanon, with efforts allegedly focused on pushing Hezbollah fighters northward, disrupting rocket and anti tank launch capabilities, and attempts at consolidating control over key terrain. The broader objective, according to officials, is to reduce threats to the north while avoiding deeper entanglement, even as cross border fire and clashes persist.

Greek Shipping Firms Secretly Transporting Oil, Weapons To Israel: Report

At least 57 deliveries were routed through Ceyhan, with ships going dark mid-voyage to evade restrictions

Greek shipping companies have secretly transported oil, coal, and military cargo to Israel using deceptive maritime tactics, according to a report by the No Harbour for Genocide campaign reviewed exclusively by Middle East Eye (MEE) and published on 2 April.

The investigation found that at least 57 covert crude oil shipments reached Israeli ports between May 2024 and December 2025, during Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

These deliveries, totaling roughly 47 million barrels, were routed via Turkiye with vessels disabling tracking systems and listing false destinations to bypass Ankara’s embargo.

Ships departing from the Turkish port of Ceyhan often reported destinations such as Port Said or Damietta in Egypt, before switching off their automatic identification systems, going dark in the Mediterranean, and later reappearing after docking in Israel, primarily in Ashkelon.

Satellite imagery reviewed by MEE confirmed their presence during these blackout periods.

🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Cradle

Related: 3/18 — USS Ford Heads To Greek Port Days After Fire That Raged For Over 30 Hours: Report — Greece Authorities Investigating Possibility US Sailors On Board Aircraft Carrier Intentionally Caused Fire [To Avoid Dying For Israel and Epstein's Handlers]

10/21 — A new front is taking shape in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greece–Cyprus–Israel alliance is emerging as a cornerstone of Washington’s strategy to box in Turkiye and contain China’s influence.

5/8/24 — Israel’s West Asian Allies Turn to Iraq for ‘New Silk Road’ Toward Europe

IMEC got complete support from US President Joe Biden during a G20 summit last September. The project aims to connect Asia and Europe via a system of railways and ports passing through India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Greece.

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—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 President Trump:

‘Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT?

Time is running out — 48 hours before all hell will rain down on them. Glory be to GOD!’

@Middle_East_Spectator

JUST IN - Secretary of War Hegseth reposts Trump's Truth Social post warning Iran about their looming deadline.

@disclosetv

JUST IN - Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom evacuates a further 198 ​of its staff from Iran's Bushehr ‌nuclear power plant.

Read here: https://www.disclose.tv/id/zx6hubuzbp/

@disclosetv

Marco Rubio 2 Days Ago: "Imagine If Iran Funded The Well-being Of Its People, Rather Than Its Military”

Trump today: “We can’t fund daycare or Medicaid, we need more money for our military”

Sometimes the jokes write themselves.

🔗SOURCE ➡️ Jvnior

Related: 4/4 — Trump's 2027 Budget Proposal Fully Eliminates The Food For Peace Program.

4/3 — Trump Set To Unveil His $1.5 Trillion Military Budget Request Amid Raging Iran War

4/2 — New - Trump Wants To Switch To A War Economy In 2027 With Massive Increase In Military Spending And Cuts To Healthcare And Other Domestic Agencies To Fund It — Bloomberg

3/31 — State Sec. Rubio: "Imagine If Instead Of Spending Billions On Weapons, Iran Spent That Money On Its People. They’d Have A Much Different Country.”

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❗️Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf:

"After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from 'regime change' to 'Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?🥺'

Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses."

❗️US drone company backed by Trump sons seeks to profit off US-Israeli war on Iran

A US drone company backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr is marketing equipment to Gulf countries reliant on US military support amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Co-founder Brett Velicovich told the Associated Press the firm is holding demonstrations across the region to showcase drone interceptors designed to counter Iranian attacks.

“Our team is doing many demos across the Middle East right now for our interceptors," Velicovich said in an text exchange. “We have very incredible tech that can save lives.” According to the Associated Press he declined to name the countries or give more details.

Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter said countries feel pressure to purchase from the president’s sons to secure US backing, calling it the first time a presidential first family could profit directly from a war initiated without congressional consent.