About 140 US service members have been wounded in the ongoing war with Iran, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, offering the first broad look at the toll the fighting has taken on American troops.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said most of the injuries were not severe and that many troops had already returned to their units.
“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty,” he said in an emailed statement cited by the Associated Press.
However, he added that eight troops remain severely injured, underscoring the human cost of the escalating conflict.
The figures provide the first insight into the number of war-related injuries sustained by American forces in the Middle East since Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting countries across the region following the joint US-Israeli military operation that killed its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Iranian attacks have killed at least seven American service members so far — six in Kuwait and one in Saudi Arabia, according to the US military.
Meanwhile, the death toll across the Middle East continues to climb as the war between Iran and the US-Israeli coalition continues to engulf the Middle East. Nearly 1,250 civilians have been killed in Iran since February 28, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The figure includes 194 children and 189 Iranian military personnel.
US INTENSIFIES STRIKES ON IRAN
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said March 10 (Tuesday) would mark the “most intense” day yet of American strikes on Iran, signalling that the conflict continues to escalate.
At the same time, Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said American forces have already struck more than 5,000 targets.
Iran has vowed to continue fighting despite the sustained bombardment the country has been enduring. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who is also an ex-Revolutionary Guards commander, has dismissed speculations that Tehran will seek a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Iran’s top security official issued a stern warning to US President Donald Trump.
“Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats. Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself,” Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wrote on X.
Meanwhile, the White House defended the Trump administration’s messaging on the conflict. White House Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US president “is not making anything up” as he offered varying explanations for the decision to launch the war.
(With inputs from agencies)
