The Pentagon has officially raised the number of U.S. military deaths connected to operations against Iran to 21, acknowledging two additional noncombat fatalities not previously included in its publicly reported data. The updated figures, reflected in the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), clarify the U.S. military’s official death toll since operations began on February 28.

The two newly included deaths are Maj. Sorffly Davius, a 46-year-old Army National Guard member who died in Kuwait in March, and an unidentified Navy service member who died by suicide in September. In addition to the fatalities, the Pentagon reported 865 service members wounded in the conflict. The military also recognized one further death—Sgt. Devin A. Seibel, 26—who died in a training accident in Iraq in May. His death was recorded under Operation Inherent Resolve, a separate long-term U.S. mission targeting the Islamic State, bringing the total number of U.S. military deaths in the Middle East since late February to 22.

The Pentagon did not explicitly confirm the raised numbers but said it is revising how casualties are reported in DCAS, introducing a new "pending adjudication" category as it updates and reviews data. The Defense Department reaffirmed its commitment to transparent and accurate casualty accounting.

The discrepancy in the death toll sparked criticism and questions from lawmakers, particularly from Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, who oversees military personnel matters, welcomed the correction but condemned the error as an “embarrassment” for the military and expressed frustration that congressional intervention was necessary to prompt the update.

Part of the confusion stems from changes in how the administration under former President Donald Trump categorized and publicly reported casualties related to the Iran conflict. Critics have suggested that modifications to reporting methods, including an early declaration that Operation Epic Fury had ended while hostilities continued, obscured the true toll of the conflict. Following that declaration, the Pentagon began tabulating casualties under a broader overseas contingency operations category rather than linking them directly to Iran-focused operations.

Historically, the Defense Casualty Analysis System has documented fatalities and injuries—including those from hostile action, accidents, and suicides—under named operations, facilitating clearer public oversight. The changes introduced during this conflict have complicated efforts by the public, lawmakers, and oversight bodies to track the full human cost of the U.S. military engagement against Iran.