US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: The US administration faced fresh scrutiny over casualties in the Iran conflict after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admitted that he made a serious mistake by saying no American service members had died.
Lutnick later confirmed that 18 US military personnel had been killed and more than 750 wounded. He apologised to the families of those killed and said he had been thinking about a separate US military operation in Venezuela when he made the incorrect statement.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: ‘I Was Thinking About Venezuela’ – Lutnick Apologises
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick issued an apology after his comments about American casualties in the Iran conflict triggered criticism.
Lutnick said he had confused the Iran conflict with a Venezuelan military operation in which no US service members were killed. He acknowledged that 18 members of the US military had died.
“I misspoke. Eighteen members of our military have died, and to those families my heart breaks, and I am so very sorry for their loss. I was thinking about the Venezuelan military operation where no service members died,” Lutnick said in a post on X.
President Donald Trump defended Lutnick after the controversy, saying Venezuela had been on the commerce secretary’s mind when he remarked. Reuters reported that the US has recorded 18 military deaths and more than 750 wounded in the conflict.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: ‘No US Soldier Died in Iran’
Lutnick’s original statement came during a CNBC interview on Wednesday. While discussing the US approach toward Iran, he incorrectly said that there had been no American deaths.
“I think the way the president is playing Iran… There haven’t been American deaths. It’s really just an economic choke-out, which the administration is now executing more broadly, and I think it’ll be very effective,” Lutnick told CNBC.
The statement quickly came under scrutiny because the US military had already suffered fatalities during the conflict. Lutnick subsequently corrected the record and apologised to the families of the 18 service members killed.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: 13 Iranian Military Personnel Killed in US Strikes This Week
Iran has also reported fresh military casualties following renewed US strikes. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that six more Iranian military personnel were killed in US strikes, taking the reported number of Iranian military personnel killed by US attacks this week to at least 13.
The casualties reportedly included six members of Iran’s regular military, including three pilots killed in southern Iran.
The reported deaths followed a new round of US strikes after a period of reduced fighting. Earlier reports had linked additional military deaths to attacks on Iranian positions. Iran has also carried out retaliatory attacks against US-linked facilities in the Gulf, showing that the latest US strikes have not brought an immediate halt to the fighting.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: US to Keep 50,000 Troops in Middle East
The US is preparing to maintain a large military presence across the Middle East as the confrontation with Iran continues.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, around 50,000 US troops are currently deployed across the region, alongside warships, air-defence units, fighter squadrons and other military assets.
The deployment gives Washington the ability to respond quickly to Iranian attacks while protecting US facilities and supporting operations around the Strait of Hormuz. The continued presence also signals that the Pentagon is preparing for sustained military pressure rather than assuming that the current confrontation will end quickly.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Deployment of US Troops May Extend to 2027
US military deployments in the Middle East could continue well into 2027, according to reports on plans being communicated to American troops and their families.
The Wall Street Journal reported that elements of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division could remain in the region into next year. A letter to families acknowledged the strain caused by longer overseas deployments.
The extension would affect multiple parts of the US military, including Army units, air-defence forces, fighter squadrons and Navy personnel operating in and around the Middle East.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: ‘US Looking at Various Scenarios’
Washington is also investigating a deadly incident involving an Iranian wedding ceremony after a strike killed civilians.
Vice President JD Vance said the US was examining what happened and that officials were considering different explanations for the incident. Reuters’ analysis of available evidence indicated that the location was likely hit directly by a US munition, although the US government has not accepted responsibility.
Iranian authorities reported that several people died in the incident and dozens were wounded. Funeral gatherings were held as families mourned the victims.
Vance said, “We’re investigating it because obviously we care. We want to know,” he said. He also defended the US military’s approach to investigating possible mistakes.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: What’s Next?
The latest developments point to a conflict entering a more complicated phase rather than moving quickly toward an end.
The US is continuing military and economic pressure on Iran, while Tehran has responded with attacks on US-linked targets in the Gulf. At the same time, Washington is preparing for the possibility that its military presence in the region will continue into 2027.
The growing casualty figures on both sides are adding pressure to the Trump administration. Lutnick’s apology has also brought renewed attention to the political sensitivity surrounding US military losses.
