US forces sustained about 100 recent injuries in Iran war, DOD says amid scrutiny

Nearly 100 U.S. troops have been injured in the Iran war in the past two weeks, the Pentagon said following an uptick in attacks on American service members in the Middle East.

The vast majority of the injuries were minor concussions, and 96% of those affected have returned to duty, chief spokesman Sean Parnell said Monday on X.

The number of troops killed or wounded in action is typically reported on the Defense Casualty Analysis System, but that database appears to be lagging behind current events.

Prior to Parnell’s update, the database reflected that zero troops had been wounded in action in July. As of Tuesday, it showed that 32 had been wounded this month, far fewer than the 100 injuries Parnell announced.

In total, 18 service members have died and 447 have been injured as a part of Operation Epic Fury, according to the Pentagon’s system. Based on Parnell’s statement, the number of wounded could be more than 500.

An attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan late last week killed two Army air defenders and injured four others, according to U.S. Central Command.

But the Pentagon withheld reports about three other strikes on the country and dozens of injuries, the New York Times reported.

Parnell initially dismissed the story as “outright lies.” It’s not clear where the injuries he mentioned on X occurred.

One service member in Iraq died during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone, CENTCOM said Sunday. Military officials are also working to identify the remains of what could be a third service member killed in Jordan.

The two active-duty soldiers killed in Jordan on Friday were 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19.

A side-by-side photo of 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, left, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. The Pentagon on Monday identified them as the two active-duty soldiers killed in Jordan on July 18, 2026. (Courtesy Photo/U.S. Army)

U.S. forces conducted a 10th consecutive day of strikes against Iran on Monday, targeting coastal surveillance and air defense sites and military logistics structures, according to CENTCOM.

“Every time Iran kills an American soldier they will pay for that killing many times over,” President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday.

The U.S. and Iran began trading strikes this month after both accused the other of violating a June ceasefire. Iran has resumed targeting oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. Navy reinstated its blockade on Iranian ports.

The conflict expanded to the Red Sea on Monday, with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen vowing to block Saudi ships, according to a statement posted to X.

An interim peace deal reached last month has repeatedly been tested by attacks. Talks to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, halt Tehran’s nuclear program and reach a permanent end to the nearly 5-month-old war are on hold.