Trump Administration Accused of 'Covering Up' True Number of U.S. War Dead as Bombshell Leak Exposes Alleged Undercount
The Trump Administration was accused of 'covering up' U.S. war deaths in a new report.
Sept. 21 2026, Updated 1:38 p.m. ET
More U.S. service members have died in the Middle East during the war with Iran than the Pentagon has listed in its public casualty database, according to a new report.
But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has hit back at the claims, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Officials Put Internal Count at 22 or 23
Pete Hegseth rejected the Washington Post's reporting.
On Friday, September 18, The Washington Post reported that a public tally of the deaths was short by at least four.
Five officials told the outlet that there have been at least 22 military fatalities, four more than the 18 deaths shown in the Pentagon's Defense Casualty Analysis System. A sixth official said 23 service members have died since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
One source said not every undisclosed death was caused directly by the fighting, but that the additional losses involved U.S. personnel who were in the region while hostilities were underway.
The Public List
Donald Trump banned CNN, MSNBC and Politico from the White House.
The Pentagon's public database listed 14 fatalities under Operation Epic Fury, and four more under a separate heading, Overseas Operations. Those four date to a July cease-fire that later collapsed and fighting resumed.
Over the summer, renewed hostilities were placed in that second category rather than under Epic Fury.
The public database also listed more than 820 service members wounded since the conflict began, many with traumatic brain injuries from strikes on U.S. bases. The Post said three U.S. contractors in the region have also died since combat started.
Pete Hegseth pushes back against The Washington Post.
Pete Hegseth Slams the Washington Post
Pete Hegseth worked at Fox News for 10 years.
In response, Hegseth took to X and called the report "disgusting," "fake," and a "complete lie."
He also called for "shame" on The Post as he dubbed them "worse than Iranian state media."
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Names of Fatalities Unknown
Pete Hegseth has been in his position since January 2025.
The Post has additionally identified other Middle East deaths that are not clearly grouped with the Iran campaign, including a May training accident in Erbil, Iraq, and a March medical emergency in Kuwait.
The newspaper did not publish a complete list of the four additional fatalities, and the Pentagon has not released a revised official count.
This isn't the first time a news outlet has suggested the death toll has been misrepresented. In July, the New York Times also reported that the Pentagon had allegedly reduced the number of troops listed as killed in the Iran war from 18 to 14.
