WASHINGTON — Nearly 100 U.S. service members have sustained injuries since July 7 following a series of Iranian strikes on U.S. military positions in the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Monday, as the United States continues military operations against Iran.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said nearly 100 service members "were deemed to have some degree of injury" during the recent attacks, adding that 96% have already returned to duty. He said the vast majority of the injuries were minor concussions.
The disclosure came after media reports questioned whether the Defense Department had fully disclosed the extent of injuries suffered by U.S. forces during the latest escalation. Parnell rejected allegations that the Pentagon had withheld casualty information, saying the department had not concealed injury figures.
The injuries occurred during a wave of Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. facilities in countries including Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, according to U.S. officials. The attacks followed renewed U.S. strikes against Iranian targets after a ceasefire between the two countries collapsed earlier this month.
The Pentagon has not released a detailed breakdown of where all of the injuries occurred or the precise circumstances of each incident. Officials have also not provided updated damage assessments for the affected military installations.
The announcement follows separate Pentagon statements confirming that U.S. service members were killed in recent attacks in Jordan and Iraq during the current conflict, underscoring the growing risks facing American forces deployed across the region.
U.S. military operations against Iranian targets continued on Monday, while Iranian forces maintained attacks on U.S. positions and regional shipping routes. Pentagon officials said casualty assessments remain ongoing and additional information will be released as it is confirmed.
