US confirms another military death in ongoing Iran war

The United States has confirmed the death of another American service member in the war with Iran, bringing the Pentagon’s reported death toll to 19, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Wednesday.

According to a US Defence Department report, the latest figure comes after The Washington Post reported that at least 22 US military personnel had died during the conflict, citing US officials. The Pentagon has disputed the higher figure reported by the newspaper.

The US Defence Department had previously reported 18 military personnel killed and hundreds wounded during the conflict. Pentagon casualty figures have changed at different points during the war, with some personnel later being listed under a separate category for overseas operations.

According to the information provided, the Pentagon reported that 18 US service members were killed during the first four months of the war, while 417 were wounded.

The supplied report also states that Iranian attacks during the same period destroyed 18 US military aircraft and helicopters, as well as 30 drones.

The differing casualty figures have added to questions over the Pentagon’s accounting of US military losses during the conflict. Earlier reports by The Washington Post also documented changes in the Pentagon’s official casualty database.