Pentagon shares toll of wounded troops in Iran – but largely excludes race and ethnicity data

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Iran War
Pentagon shares toll of wounded troops in Iran – but largely excludes race and ethnicity data

Apr 4, 2026 2:48 PM EDT

Pentagon shares toll of wounded troops in Iran – but largely excludes race and ethnicity data

The Pentagon has shared updated data for the Iran war, revealing hundreds of wounded troops but notably not listing all of the soldiers' races and ethnicities.

By Rey Harris

Washington DC - The Pentagon recently shared new data on the Iran war, which revealed hundreds of US troops have been wounded since President Donald Trump started the conflict a month ago.

The Pentagon has shared updated data for the Iran war, revealing hundreds of wounded troops but notably not listing all of the soldiers' races and ethnicities. © ROBERTO SCHMIDT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

On Friday, the department updated its Defense Casualty Analysis System, which now shows that 365 troops have been wounded in action and 13 have been killed in Operation Epic Fury.

The update marked the first time data for the operation had been listed on the system, which broke down the numbers into several subcategories.

The branch of the military most affected by the conflict has been the Army, which has sustained 247 wounded soldiers, while the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps have had 63, 36, and 19, respectively.

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The Pentagon notably chose to largely ignore the race and ethnicity of soldiers in their data. Of the 365 wounded, 320 have both categories listed as "unknown."

For the 13 deaths, the department was able to acknowledge that 10 were "white," while the remaining three were listed as Black or African American, "multiple races," and "unknown."

The statistics come as the Pentagon faces scrutiny for not regularly sharing such information and for how deaths are classified in the data, which can influence how the public, policymakers, and even commanders view the conflict.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has also been under fire in recent days over reports that he personally stepped in to block the promotions of two Black and two female officers.