The Pentagon has updated its public casualty database, revising figures for U.S. troops killed and wounded in the Iran conflict and placing them under a new classification. The Defense Department has moved away from using "Operation Epic Fury" as the primary designation in its Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), opting instead for a broader category labeled "Overseas Operations."
Last week, the Pentagon reduced the number of U.S. troops listed as killed in Operation Epic Fury from 18 to 14 and removed dozens of wounded service members from that tally. The exact definition of "Overseas Operations" and whether it exclusively counts Iran war casualties remains unclear, as the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment. DCAS serves as the government's authoritative public record of war dead, with casualty data submitted by the military services.
This shift in accounting is unusual, as parsing individual phases of a war from a broader campaign can complicate efforts to obtain a clear count of U.S. casualties. The new "Overseas Operations" category now lists 207 U.S. troops wounded since July 7, bringing the total wounded since the U.S. and Israel launched the war in February to at least 624.
The change in casualty reporting may be linked to the Trump administration's stance that Operation Epic Fury concluded in May. The administration's position suggests that the resumption of daily fighting resets the 60-day limit for waging war without congressional approval.
In parallel, the House recently adopted a war powers resolution concerning Iran, a move that rebuked President Donald Trump. The resolution sought to mandate congressional authorization for continued U.S. military involvement in the conflict. However, Senate Republicans blocked the measure. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., criticized the Pentagon's actions, stating that the Defense Department was creating an "absurd ruse" by suggesting two separate Iran wars. He accused Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth of breaking the law and evading accountability for waging war without congressional consent.
When questioned last week about the initial shift in casualty numbers, Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez attributed the discrepancy to website technical issues, stating that "site anomalies are currently being resolved." He did not mention any recalculations of casualties.