According to US media reports, the Pentagon confirmed the injuries nearly 10 days after an Iranian missile attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on September 14.
NBC News reported that eight US Marines were injured when an Iranian anti-ship cruise missile struck a vessel carrying the Marines as part of a battalion landing team.
US officials have declined to classify the vessel as a US Navy ship, describing it instead as a commercial vessel.
Officials said none of the injured Marines was in critical condition. However, some experienced breathing difficulties caused by smoke, as well as symptoms potentially linked to brain injuries, including headaches and concussion-like symptoms.
The eight Marines included seven lower-ranking personnel and one officer. All eight returned to duty shortly after the September 14 attack.
The Pentagon has faced criticism over its reporting of US military casualties since the start of the Iran war, with changes in reporting and classification procedures resulting in revisions to the number of troops killed or injured.
The service members injured in the September 14 attack were quietly added to the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System. Following the update, the database lists 19 US military deaths and 861 injuries related to the conflict.
A US official said delays in adding some service members to the casualty figures can occur because certain medical symptoms may emerge days after an attack. The Pentagon’s system also does not provide real-time updates.
The Washington Post recently reported, citing intelligence and defense officials, that the actual number of US casualties in the Iran war could be higher than the figures released by the Pentagon, alleging that some deaths were being withheld.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected the allegations, saying the Pentagon was not deliberately concealing deaths. He said some fatalities were not directly related to combat operations and instead resulted from medical incidents, which are classified separately.
