Pentagon Lowers Iran War Death Toll To 14 From 18

According to CNBC, the Pentagon lowered its official death toll for the Iran war to 14 from 18 after the Trump administration removed four service members killed this month from the count. The Pentagon's casualty database showed seven of the 14 deaths were classified as hostile, and the website said it was updated as of Wednesday. Three military officials told The New York Times that the four service members killed this past weekend — three in Jordan and one in northern Iraq — were removed because their deaths came after President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire in April. Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez attributed the change to temporary data disruptions on the department's casualty website and said they would be fixed quickly. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said Monday that Trump had not shared Iran war casualty statistics with Congress and that there had been no transparency from the White House or Pentagon about equipment losses and casualty figures.