More U.S. troops have died during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed, the Washington Post reported on Friday (September 18, 2026).
The newspaper also reported, citing another unidentified official, that not all of the undisclosed deaths were directly tied to the months-long conflict but involved U.S. personnel who were in West Asia amid ongoing hostilities. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied the report. Mr. Hegseth, in a post on X, called the report “a complete LIE. The Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Post, citing five unidentified officials, reported that there had been at least 22 military fatalities, four more than were listed in the data available on the Pentagon’s public database.
In its story, the newspaper said the Pentagon had declined to address its questions about the discrepancy in casualty accounting.
