President Donald Trump confirmed that 18 US service members have been killed in the Iran conflict, correcting Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s earlier claim that no Americans had died.
Web Desk: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that 18 US service members have been killed in the ongoing conflict with Iran, contradicting an earlier statement by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that no American troops had died.
Trump said Lutnick had been referring to a separate US military operation in Venezuela when he made the incorrect statement about American casualties in Iran.
The clarification came after Lutnick faced criticism for saying during a television interview that there had been no US military deaths in the Iran conflict.
Trump corrects Lutnick’s statement
According to the report, Trump explained that Lutnick had confused the Iran conflict with the US military operation in Venezuela, where no American service members were killed.
Lutnick subsequently acknowledged his mistake and apologized to the families of the US personnel who died.
The Commerce Secretary said he had mistakenly referred to the Venezuela operation while discussing the administration’s strategy toward Iran.
More than 750 US troops reported wounded
US casualty figures cited in recent reporting indicate that 18 American service members have been killed and more than 750 wounded since the conflict began.
Reuters also reported the same figures after Lutnick apologized for his earlier remarks.
The casualty figures highlight the human cost for US forces as military tensions with Iran continue.
Iran conflict continues to escalate
The confirmation of the 18 deaths comes as military tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high.
On September 5, US Central Command said American forces struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy ships. Reuters reported that no US personnel were injured in that incident.
The latest confrontation adds to a broader cycle of military strikes and retaliation that has continued for months.
Trump plays down scale of conflict
Trump has recently described the fighting as a limited military conflict rather than a conventional war, while Vice President JD Vance has also questioned the use of the term “war.”
The White House has continued to describe US military operations against Iran as part of its broader national-security strategy.
Despite Trump’s characterization, the confirmed deaths of 18 US service members and hundreds of wounded personnel underline the seriousness of the continuing confrontation.
