President Donald Trump and the United States government is feeling the heat from the deadly Iran war, with the cost, the casualty rate and the wounded increasing by the day.
Pentagon released figures showing that 757 American service members have been wounded and 18 killed since the conflict began.
The latest figures, published in the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System, represent an addition of 60 wounded personnel to the previous tally and bring the total number of US service members killed or wounded to 775.
Of the 757 wounded personnel, 587 are Army soldiers, making the Army by far the hardest-hit branch of the US military.
The Pentagon’s breakdown also lists 86 Navy sailors, 64 Air Force airmen and 19 Marines among the wounded. The database however records 18 deaths.
The updated figures underscore the mounting human cost of a conflict that has continued for nearly six months and exposed American forces across the region to repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks.
The war began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, setting off a direct military confrontation that has continued to generate casualties despite efforts to halt the fighting.
Many of the casualties are classified under “Operation Epic Fury,” the formal name used for the initial US military campaign. But the Pentagon introduced a separate “Overseas Operations” category in its casualty database in late July for personnel killed or wounded in subsequent US military activity.
Despite the growing toll, the Pentagon and US Central Command have provided few details about the circumstances surrounding individual injuries. The military has also released limited information about the extent of damage suffered by US bases and other facilities during Iranian attacks.
US officials have said, however, that the overwhelming majority of the injuries are traumatic brain injuries. Many of the injuries are believed to have resulted from blast waves generated by Iranian missiles and drones striking US positions.
The casualty figures therefore point not only to direct battlefield losses but also to the continuing danger posed by the concussive force of attacks on American personnel and installations.
US troops operate a heavy artillery gun during a military operation, amid the escalating Iran conflict that has left 757 American service members wounded and 18 killed, with the US war bill already climbing to $37.5 billion.
The rising casualty figures come as the financial cost of the war continues to climb. ..Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers last month that the direct cost of the Iran war had reached approximately $37.5 billion — the first time the Pentagon had publicly put a figure on the cost of the conflict.
The spending reflects the enormous resources required to sustain US military operations, including the deployment of troops, combat operations, weapons and munitions
The Trump administration has sought an additional $87.6 billion in emergency funding for ongoing military operations in the Middle East, with roughly $67 billion earmarked for the Pentagon.
The proposed spending includes funds for munitions, operational requirements and classified military programmes. The request underscores the likelihood that the financial burden will continue to rise if American forces remain engaged in the region.
Nearly six months after the first strikes, the Iran war has moved far beyond a short military campaign. It has become a costly test of American military power — one that is exacting an increasingly visible toll in American lives, wounded troops and billions of dollars in public funds.
