‘Shameful’: Pentagon accused of cover-up over US military casualties in Iran war
Published by theguardian.com
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Who is named
The characters and things this document talks about — 14 in alls. Each links to everything else the record knows about them.
People 11
Ned Price Donald Trump Clayton Weimers Gary Peters Joel Rubin Sean Parnell Steven Cash Leon Panetta Pete Hegseth US troops Janessa Goldbeck
Organisations 1
Places 1
Things 1
Claims made
Every claim in this document. Firsthand = asserted on its own basis; secondhand = recounted from elsewhere, carrying no independent weight.
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The Pentagon is taking a “shameful approach” to releasing information about US casualties in the Iran war, Leon Panetta, a former defence secretary and CIA director, has told the Guardian.
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The Pentagon has not held a press briefing for two and a half months
The defence department has not held a press briefing for two and a half months.
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Officials have faced accusations that they are engaged in a cover‑up designed to hide the true cost of Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran, fearing a public backlash before November’s midterm elections.
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Panetta, who held weekly Pentagon briefings during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, criticised the department for failing to disclose how many people had been hurt in bomb attacks by Iran on US bases.
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The number of US troops killed in the war on Iran rose to 18 last weekend, while roughly 430 US troops have been injured.
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The Pentagon said on Monday that 100 service members had been injured since 7 July but that 96% had returned to duty.
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The department initially failed to disclose the figures, according to a New York Times newspaper report, only belatedly acknowledging the casualties in a social media post.
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Officials dismissed the Times’ article as “baseless and malicious” and contend that they are not strictly required to publicise injuries if service members are expected to return to duty.
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The Pentagon’s website lowered the number of troop deaths from 18 to 14
another Times report said the Pentagon’s website had lowered the number of troop deaths from 18 to 14
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Sean Parnell blamed a temporary data disruption for the lowered death figures
Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, blamed “a temporary data disruption”.
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Ned Price, a former deputy to the US representative to the United Nations and former spokesperson for the state department, said: “This goes beyond a run‑of‑the‑mill administration distrust toward and hostility against the press. This is more about shielding the American people from the true and total cost of this war.”
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The war started five months ago
Since the war started five months ago, there has been a tension between the government’s desire for operational secrecy and the media’s demand for transparency on behalf of the public.
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Trump returned to power in January 2025
Since Trump’s return to power in January 2025, the Pentagon – restyled as the Department of War – has been restricting access.
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Almost immediately, it ousted major outlets including the New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR) and Politico from their long‑held desks, supplanting them with Trump‑friendly media such as Breitbart, One America News Network and the New York Post.
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In May, it imposed restrictions on the free movement of reporters in much of the Pentagon building.
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In October most news outlets turned in their access badges and walked out of the Pentagon
In October, most news outlets turned in their access badges and walked out of the Pentagon rather than agree to new rules that would leave them vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information – classified or otherwise – that had not been approved by Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, for release.
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In December the department held a three‑day event to usher in newly accredited media organisations
In December, the department held a three‑day event to usher in newly accredited media organisations, including pro‑Trump podcasters and influencers.
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In March this year, the Pentagon introduced a rule that required journalists to be escorted on Pentagon grounds by authorised department personnel.
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In June, it said its press office was now a classified space inaccessible to journalists because it was used by speechwriters who “routinely handle classified material”.
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Reporters carried their belongings from the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia on 15 October 2025
Reporters carry their belongings from the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on 15 October 2025, after news outlets declined to sign restrictive media rules and were stripped of their access credentials.
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Clayton Weimers, the Washington director for Reporters Without Borders, said: “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say this Pentagon has been more hostile to the news media than any other Pentagon in recent memory.”
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Pete Hegseth announced a screening programme for testosterone deficiency among troops last week
Now the bravado has been replaced by a vacuum. While there have been no briefings since May, Hegseth last week announced a screening programme for “testosterone deficiency” among troops, calling it necessary to allow them to operate at their “absolute best”.
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Joel Rubin said there is a lot of concern about there being casualties in this war right now
Joel Rubin, a former deputy assistant secretary of state, said: “When you’re not able to communicate clearly what’s actually taking place on the ground, that means you’re likely not confident or comfortable with what is happening on the ground and how it will play politically and in the policy world here. It’s a pretty obvious thing that there’s a lot of concern about there being casualties in this war right now.”
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The war in Iran is already unpopular in the United States
The war in Iran is already unpopular in the US due to rising gas prices and other inflationary impacts on people’s everyday lives.
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Ned Price said 18 US service members have died
People who are paying attention know that 18 US service members have died, Price said.
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“The Pentagon said 96% of those affected returned to duty but, again, a reminder that we know that modern warfare, like the impacts of an injury, might not be felt or seen until months or years later,” said Janessa Goldbeck, chief executive of Vet Voice Foundation, a non‑profit advocacy organisation.
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The Pentagon denies that it is minimising reports of casualties
The Pentagon denies that it is minimising reports of casualties.
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Sean Parnell, the chief spokesperson, said in a statement: “The Department of War and US Central Command has consistently provided comprehensive, real‑time updates to the world on the United States’ strikes and operations in Iran.
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Gary Peters called the administration’s approach a complete “failure”
When the senator Gary Peters, a Democrat, called the administration’s approach a complete “failure”, Hegseth erupted in anger, snapping: “Shame on you and others who call this a quagmire and a failure.”
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When the senator Gary Peters, a Democrat, called the administration’s approach a complete “failure”, Hegseth erupted in anger, snapping: “Shame on you and others who call this a quagmire and a failure.”
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Steven Cash, a former intelligence officer and executive director of the Steady State – an advocacy group of more than 400 former national security officials – warns that the Trump administration and its Pentagon leadership do not view the public or the press as stakeholders to be informed, but as adversaries to be defeated.
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Syndication
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