More than 750 United States military personnel have been injured during nearly six months of conflict with Iran, Defense Department figures show.
Official data indicates that 757 service members sustained injuries, with more than 580 belonging to the United States Army. While the Pentagon has not formally stated a death toll, reports indicate 18 soldiers have died in the conflict.
Six of the fatalities occurred during a military strike on the port of Shuaiba in Kuwait on 1 March. Another six soldiers died in an aircraft refueling accident in Iraq on 12 March.
The United States Department of Defense, headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, manages American armed forces deployed overseas. The port of Shuaiba serves as a major industrial maritime hub in Kuwait, located along the coast of the Persian Gulf.
US strategy shifts to economic pressure
Facing challenges on the battlefield, including an alleged shortage of interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems and long-range munitions, Washington has adopted a new strategy focused on economic pressure to defeat Iran.
The Patriot missile system is an all-weather surface-to-air defense network designed to detect and destroy tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and hostile aircraft. Maintaining continuous missile inventories for such systems is critical during sustained military operations.
United States Vice President JD Vance said economic pressure represents the most effective tool available against Tehran. Speaking on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Vance described the policy as a delicate dance, noting that as Washington applies economic pressure, Iranian leaders will attempt to apply economic pressure in return.
Vance added that Iranian authorities have felt significantly more pressure than the United States in recent weeks. He acknowledged that high global crude oil prices have impacted consumers at domestic filling stations, but highlighted administration efforts to maintain naval passage.
Vance noted that Iran is trying to close maritime routes, but argued that extracting sufficient oil and gas to offer price relief to American consumers would achieve key strategic goals without needing a full return to prior shipping conditions.
Iranian officials rejected the American administration strategy, describing the economic measures as economic terrorism. Authorities in Tehran reaffirmed their resolve to defend national security, while issuing warnings to neighboring Persian Gulf nations against offering military assistance to the United States.
Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption
Navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved as military tensions persist. Washington maintains that the international waterway is open to all non-Iranian traffic, whereas Tehran claims it has established a passage agreement with Oman.
Despite those claims, commercial maritime movement through the corridor has fallen sharply. Ship transits dropped by half on Thursday, with only seven cargo vessels crossing the strait compared to 14 recorded on Wednesday.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It stands as one of the most vital oil transit routes in global commerce, carrying a significant portion of the world petroleum supply.
Diplomatic friction has also spread into Europe. Iranian authorities expelled two French diplomats from the country after Paris took a matching decision against Iranian diplomatic personnel.
On the political front, Donald Trump predicted that Iranian leadership will refuse to accept a necessary nuclear agreement as negotiations remain stalled.
