White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has admitted that about 150 American troops have been wounded in the war with Iran.
As the conflict entered its 11th day, Leavitt acknowledged the new figure while updating reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
“I can’t confirm the exact number. I know it’s within that ballpark, but I would defer you to the Pentagon for a specific number,” she said.
The Pentagon later confirmed that about 140 U.S service members have been injured, but according to spokesman Sean Parnell, the vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty.“
The new figure is the first insight into the broader toll sustained by U.S. troops since Trump joined Israel in its decades-long attempt to annihilate the Iranian regime.
A further eight soldiers have been killed, gas prices have soared, and polls show voter support for the war continues to plummet.
But despite the pushback, Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday that the U.S. was well on its way to achieving its objectives, which the administration now says is threefold: eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities, destroying its navy, and annihilating its ballistic missile program.
Asked about the timeline for the war, which Trump had initially suggested could last four to six weeks, she replied: “Ultimately, the operations will end when the Commander in Chief determines the military objectives have been fully realized, and that Iran is in a position of complete and unconditional surrender—whether they say it or not.”
This was an apparent contrast to Trump’s earlier suggestion that the war would end when “they cry uncle” or when “there’s nobody around to cry uncle.”
“He’s not claiming the Iranian regime is going to come out and say that themselves,” Leavitt tried to explain.
“What the president means is that Iran’s threats will no longer be backed by a ballistic missile arsenal that protects them from building a nuclear bomb in their country.”
The latest update came as the conflict rippled through global energy markets.
Disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, have pushed crude prices higher and driven gasoline prices upward in the United States, adding to inflationary pressures and consumer costs.
According to price-tracking service GasBuddy, the average price of U.S. retail gasoline nationwide had hit $3.49 a gallon by Monday afternoon.
The average price per gallon had also jumped by over 50 cents since the war with Iran began.
The issue is particularly challenging for Trump, who came to office promising to tackle the cost-of-living pressures for Americans.
However, Leavitt insisted the pain at the pump was only temporary and even claimed that oil and gas prices would drop below their prewar levels.
“The President and his energy team are closely watching the markets, speaking with industry leaders and the U.S. military is drawing up additional options following the President’s directive to continue keeping the Strait of Hormuz open,” she said.
“I will not broadcast what those actions look like, but just know the president is not afraid to use them. Rest assured to the American people, the recent increase in oil and gas prices is temporary, and this operation will result in lower gas prices in the long term.”
Nonetheless, behind the scenes, some of Trump’s advisers are urging him to articulate a clearer exit strategy for the war, concerned about the political and economic fallout if the conflict drags on.
Of particular concern to Americans is Trump’s shifting stories over a strike on an elementary school in Iran that reportedly killed 175 people, many of them children.
The incident has drawn international scrutiny and political pressure on the administration, with Trump claiming on Sunday that Iran was responsible for the strike, despite video analysis and satellite imagery suggesting the blast was likely caused by an American Tomahawk missile targeting a nearby Revolutionary Guard facility.
Confusion ensued on Monday, when Trump, who initially blamed Iran for striking their own school, was cornered about the matter by a New York Times reporter, who asked the president why he was the only person in his administration pushing this story.
“Because I just don’t know enough about it,” the 79-year-old finally admitted, in stark contrast to his definitive response the day before.
“I think it’s something that I was told is under investigation.”
“But Tomahawks are used by others, as you know. Numerous other nations have Tomahawks; they buy them from us,” Trump added, omitting the fact that Iran is not one of the nations that do so.
“But I will certainly, whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report.”
Asked about this on Tuesday, Leavitt said the investigation was ongoing and that the Pentagon would eventually release a report about what happened.
“We’re not going to get ahead of the Department of War and the conclusion of that investigation,” she said.
“He has said he will accept the conclusion of that investigation, and frankly we’re not going to be harassed by the New York Times, who’s been putting out a lot of articles on this and making claims that have just not been verified by the Department of War.”
