A strange way to count: "On Wednesday, the Pentagon reported on its casualties website that a total of 18 American service members had been killed during the war in Iran," reports The New York Times. "By Thursday, the Defense Department had lowered that number, reporting that 14 American troops had been killed in the war." The stated justification, per three military officials who spoke to the Times, is that the four most recent deaths—one service member killed in Iraq and three in Jordan—had happened after President Donald Trump had declared a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the Pentagon's acting press secretary said the count was wrong due to "temporary data disruptions" on the website.
The Guardian concluded that "the change is tied to the War Powers Act of 1973, which requires the president to end military operations within 60 days unless Congress authorizes an extension. The Trump administration has argued that the April ceasefire with Iran paused the clock on 1 May for the conflict's initial period. The separate casualty count beginning on 7 July follows that interpretation."
