The Pentagon isn't required to disclose every troop injury. Here's what the rules say

A new report from The New York Times on Monday says the Pentagon is withholding dozens of U.S. injuries from the Iran war. Reporters spoke to several U.S. officials, who said the Friday attacks in Jordan that killed 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25 and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, injured dozens more. It's the latest incident of the Trump administration and the Pentagon keeping the war in Iran close to their chest, sparking criticism from the general public and lawmakers. But U.S. military officials argue the Pentagon is not required to disclose troop injuries. On Friday, U.S. Central Command announced Gonzales' and Feehan's deaths, saying four other troops were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. The statement added that other personnel were evaluated for minor injuries and returned to duty, but didn't disclose how many were involved. The two deaths on Friday, and a third in Iraq this weekend, bring the U.S. troop fatalities for the Iran war up to 17. While some news organizations like The Independent stick to the facts, using the headline "Pentagon did not disclose dozens of US military injuries in Iran war: report," others used language that could make the Pentagon's non-disclosure look intentional and malicious. The New York Times, in its reporting, said the Pentagon "withheld" dozens of injuries, while other news organizations used words like "concealed" and "kept quiet." What some of the organizations fail to acknowledge is the legalities and procedure behind the Pentagon's decision to withhold injury information. The Department of Defense is required to publicly disclose military casualties. However, the timing varies based on when next of kin are notified. Under DoD Instruction 1300.18, the DoD can't publicly announce any casualty information to the general public or media until at least 24 hours have passed since family was notified in person. The U.S. military generally is not legally required to publicly disclose all troop injuries, particularly when those injuries are minor, and the troop quickly returns to duty. The military can also withhold troop injuries through the Freedom of Information Act Exemption 1. The exemption allows the military to withhold information on casualties and injuries if its release would jeopardize national defense, reveal troop locations or compromise ongoing military operations. The Pentagon responded to reports it was withholding injury reports, calling accusations "baseless and malicious." "Claims of concealment are fabrications meant to further distress the American people in the wake of three service members killed in action," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on X. "Injuries in the military encompass everything from minor sprained ankles during routine training to incidents entirely unrelated to combat operations. Cherry-picking raw numbers without context paints a deliberately misleading and incomplete picture." Confirmed U.S. fatalities in the Iran war have reached 17, spanning strikes in Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and a crash in the Arabian Sea.