New York Times cites anonymous officials as questions emerge over military disclosures
WASHINGTON: Iranian attacks over the past week reportedly wounded dozens of American service members stationed in Jordan, although only a limited number of injuries were publicly disclosed by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), according to a report by The New York Times published on Monday.
Citing anonymous US officials, the newspaper reported that the strikes also damaged several military helicopters. The officials said CENTCOM does not routinely disclose every casualty, particularly when injured personnel are expected to return to duty quickly or when releasing additional details could provide operational advantages to adversaries.
According to one official, withholding information about troop injuries is intended to avoid helping Iran assess the effectiveness of its missile and drone strikes against US military installations in Jordan and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Officials cite operational security
The report also said the same security considerations have led CENTCOM to reduce public updates on the number of Iranian targets struck during ongoing military operations.
In addition, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration has not publicly detailed the cost of weapons used in operations against Iran or provided updated assessments of Iran’s missile capabilities.
Separately, the Pentagon identified two US service members killed in a strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on Friday as First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas.
Earlier concerns over injury reporting
Meanwhile, CBS News previously reported that several wounded US soldiers questioned official descriptions of their injuries following an earlier Iranian strike in Kuwait.
According to CBS, Sergeant First Class Cory Hicks, who suffered serious shrapnel wounds requiring emergency surgery, said he believed the severity of his injuries had been understated after his family was initially informed that his condition was minor.
Neither CENTCOM nor the US Department of Defense immediately commented on the latest New York Times report. The claims regarding casualty figures and reporting practices are based on anonymous sources and have not been independently verified by official public statements.
