World News
Trump clarifies commerce secretary's incorrect claim regarding US casualties in Iran
Howard Lutnick retracts an assertion that no US personnel died in the conflict, as Iranian authorities report dozens of casualties from recent strikes.
The short version
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick walked back remarks made on CNBC asserting no Americans had died in the conflict with Iran, stating he mistakenly referred to an earlier operation in Venezuela.
- President Donald Trump publicly corrected the statement, reiterating the Pentagon's official count of 18 US service members killed during the six-month war.
- Iranian officials reported multiple deaths and injuries from recent US strikes, including casualties at a wedding ceremony, which US Central Command stated it is reviewing.
Key facts
- US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed during a television appearance that no Americans had died in the conflict with Iran, later posting on social media that he had misspoken and was thinking of a January operation in Venezuela.[The Guardian]
- President Donald Trump corrected the commerce secretary on Truth Social, stating that 18 US personnel have been killed in the war with Iran.[The Guardian]
- Iran's health ministry reported that recent US strikes resulted in 18 deaths and 108 injuries, while Iran's Red Crescent stated a strike near the Strait of Hormuz killed four people and injured 67 at a wedding ceremony.[The Guardian]
- US Central Command stated that American forces do not target civilians and are reviewing the casualty reports originating from Iranian sources.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The full extent and verification of civilian casualties from recent US strikes remain unconfirmed as the Pentagon reviews reports from Iranian state media amidst reduced internal tracking resources.[The Guardian]