Pentagon created separate category for Iran war deaths, making tally hard to track

The Pentagon has changed how it reports casualties in the Iran war, creating a new category for deaths and injuries since July 7 that makes it more difficult to tally the conflict's full toll, according to a New York Times report.Under the new system, the Defense Casualty Analysis System restored the deaths of four soldiers killed last weekend that had been removed from the website, but placed them in a new category labeled "overseas operations casualties starting July 7, 2026." This means a complete tally now requires adding numbers from two separate web pages.The change also raised the number of those wounded since July 7 to 207 — 142 more than previously reported — bringing the total to 624 since the war began on February 28. The total number listed as killed is 18.Last week, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell insisted the number of US troops injured since July 7 was fewer than 100, while the Pentagon had not disclosed several Iranian strikes on bases that left dozens injured."Claims of concealment are fabrications meant to further distress the American people in the wake of three service members killed in action," Parnell said at the time.NYT reported last week that the Pentagon had lowered the number of service members killed to 14 from 18, prompting outrage among veterans, military families and lawmakers. Military officials said the four recent deaths had occurred after a ceasefire had been reached in April.White House views escalation as new conflictUS President Trump has told lawmakers that the latest escalation is part of a new conflict, not a continuation of the war that began in February. This allows the administration to "start the clock again" on how it classifies casualties, the NYT reported.On July 10, Trump formally notified Congress that hostilities with Iran had resumed. The War Powers Act requires the president to end military operations within 60 days unless authorised by Congress. On Thursday, the House voted a second time to direct Trump to end the war or seek explicit authorisation.A group of Democratic senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting a "comprehensive accounting" of service members killed or wounded."The American people, Congress, service members and their families are entitled to a full and accurate accounting of the human costs of war. The information currently available suggests that the Department has not consistently provided timely and comprehensive public casualty reporting throughout the conflict," they wrote.The Pentagon has not responded to NYT’s request for comment.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.