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About 140 U.S. service members have been wounded since the conflict between the United States and Iran began late last month, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the injuries occurred during the first 10 days of sustained attacks in the campaign known as Operation Epic Fury.
“Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 140 U.S. service members have been wounded over 10 days of sustained attacks,” Parnell said in a statement.
According to the Pentagon, the vast majority of the injuries have been minor. Parnell said 108 service members have already returned to duty.
Eight service members remain listed as severely injured and are receiving the “highest level of medical care,” he said.
When asked about a Reuters report estimating about 150 injured U.S. troops, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the number was “within that ballpark” and directed reporters to the Pentagon for additional details.
The update comes after U.S. Central Command announced over the weekend that a seventh American service member had died from injuries sustained during an Iranian attack on U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia.
Six other service members were killed earlier in an attack on a temporary U.S. military operations center in Kuwait.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that U.S. military operations against Iran are expected to intensify.
“Today will be, yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran,” Hegseth told reporters during a morning briefing. “The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes. Intelligence more refined and better than ever.”
The conflict has also carried a high financial cost. According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon used about $5.6 billion worth of munitions during the first two days of the fighting.
Both President Donald Trump and Hegseth have warned that additional casualties are likely as the war continues. Last week, the defense secretary also criticized news coverage highlighting the deaths of U.S. service members during the conflict.
