Pentagon concealed injuries from previously undisclosed Iranian attacks in Jordan - report
Iran carried out multiple undisclosed attacks on US forces in Jordan, wounding dozens of US soldiers, The New York Times reported on Monday
Iran carried out three previously undisclosed attacks on US forces in Jordan in the week leading up to last Friday's missile strike that killed two American service members, The New York Times reported on Monday, citing US officials.
According to the report, the earlier attacks wounded dozens of American troops and damaged several military helicopters stationed at the base. However, the Pentagon did not publicly disclose the incidents or the casualties and damage they caused.
U.S. officials told The New York Times that the military has deliberately limited public reporting on some Iranian attacks. One military source said U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is not required to announce injuries sustained by service members, particularly when they recover and return to active duty. Another official said the Pentagon seeks to avoid releasing operational details that could help Iran refine its missile and drone targeting against American bases across the Middle East.
CENTCOM says that since the launch of Operation Iron Roar, 16 U.S. military personnel have been killed and more than 400 have been wounded. While the Pentagon had regularly updated the number of injured troops who later returned to duty, those public updates have stopped in recent weeks.
Following US airstrikes on Iranian military targets last week, CENTCOM described the operations as retaliatory measures in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The command did not mention the reported attacks on US bases in the region, including those in Jordan. It has also stopped releasing daily figures on the number of Iranian targets struck, citing operational security concerns.
The report comes after Iran launched missiles over the weekend toward the Jordanian port city of Aqaba, near Israel's southern border. The Israel Defense Forces warned that some projectiles or debris could spill over into Israeli territory, and impacts were reported near the border area.