Iran War Casualties
Iran War Casualties
2026 death-toll tracker for the US-Iran war (Operation Epic Fury), February 28 – present. Sourced low–high ranges for US, Iranian, Lebanese and civilian casualties, with confidence flags where independent verification is limited.
Combined confirmed and estimated deaths across US (21–23), Iranian military (1,800–7,650), Iranian and Israeli civilians, Lebanese civilians, Hezbollah fighters, and Gulf-state casualties. Wounded are tracked separately and run far higher. Sources conflict sharply — see the full sourced data table below for the per-category breakdown.
Casualty figures in active conflicts are contested. We publish low-high ranges from independent and government sources, flag disputed figures, and cite the last verification date for every number. For the financial side of these losses, see our US-Iran war cost tracker; for current combat status, the Iran ceasefire status tracker. For the force balance behind these losses, compare Iran's military spending and force structure against the wider military spending by country rankings.
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Casualties by Side
Figures shown as low-high ranges where sources conflict. Badges indicate confidence level: verified (two or more independent sources), disputed (government sources only, on both sides), or unverified (single-source or projection).
United States
21 confirmed US KIA (Pentagon/DCAS), up from 19 after the Pentagon added two non-combat deaths on Oct 9: Maj. Sorffly Davius (Kuwait, Mar 6) and a Navy sailor (September). The Washington Post's count of 22-23 is still higher; Hegseth had called it a "complete lie."
US wounded total is now 865 official (DCAS), up from 861 after the Sep 25 Washington Post-reported jump of 37 (29 Navy, 8 Marines) with no DoD-disclosed incident. US KIA is 21, for a combined US total of 886; independent tallies put the true wounded figure above 900.
Updated 2026-07-22: RESOLVED — the Pentagon identified the previously-missing service member as Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, NY, confirming him as a third KIA from the Jul 17 attack on Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base (see KIA entry). No US service members are currently listed missing.
Iran
Extreme range reflects deeply conflicting sources. Low: IRNA/state media "martyrs" figure (~1,800 as of Apr 14). Mid: IDF Mar 13 estimate = 3,000–4,000. High: IDF intelligence Mar 15 = 6,000+ IRGC; Hengaw report Apr 8 = 6,620+ military personnel; Wikipedia Casualties infobox cites 6,000+/~15,000 WIA (US/Israeli claim). HRANA Apr 7 documented 1,221 military deaths (acknowledged as significantly undercounted). Iran's forensics body identified 3,375 total war dead (military + civilian combined) by Apr 12. Both Iranian state and IDF figures carry strong incentive to distort — treat entire range as disputed. Previous highEst of 3,400 was too narrow given Apr intelligence releases.
Iran International documented 52 senior officials and commanders killed. Trump statement on Mar 1 cited "48+" killed on opening day alone. Confirmed include: Supreme Leader Khamenei, IRGC C-in-C Hossein Salami, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC-N cmdr Tangsiri, IRGC Aerospace cmdr Hajizadeh, Defense Minister Nasirzadeh, Intelligence Minister Khatib, SNSC Sec Larijani, Basij cmdr Soleimani, IRGC intel chief Khademi (Apr 6), and ~40 additional brigadiers and deputy commanders. All names cross-corroborated across Reuters, Al Jazeera, IRNA, Iran International. Previous range of 14–18 was dramatically understated — reflected early-war data only.
Low: Iranian Red Crescent and MoH-adjacent figures (~4,200–8,000). High: IDF intelligence Mar 15 cited ~15,000 IRGC wounded. HRANA total documented war injured 26,500 (military + civilian combined as of Apr 7). No independent source can verify military-specific WIA inside Iran due to access restrictions. Ethical flag: IDF WIA figures serve to demonstrate operational success and may be inflated.
Lebanon
Hezbollah engagement was far wider than "limited exchange" — Israel launched its "most powerful attacks" on Lebanon on Apr 8 ("Black Wednesday"), killing 357+ in a single day. Internal Hezbollah sources acknowledge 400+ fighters killed (Wikipedia Lebanon war infobox Apr); IDF claims ~1,700 fighters killed. Low end raised from 220 — Hezbollah's own internal figure now stands at 400+. High end raised from 480 to reflect IDF Apr claims. Wide range retained as both sides have clear incentive to distort.
Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health reports 4,386 killed and 12,407 wounded since Mar 2, 2026 (Sep 17 statement). This is the largest single civilian casualty category in this tracker.
Civilians (all sides)
Iranian civilian deaths are estimated at 1,701-3,636 (HRANA: 1,701 named; Health Ministry/Forensic figures push higher). An unclaimed strike also killed a crewman off Qeshm's Hengam Island Sep 13, within the existing range.
Multiple independent sources converge on a much lower figure than previously recorded. Wikipedia 2026 Iranian Strikes on Israel infobox: 19+ killed, 4,292 injured (Israeli MoH). Times of Israel war-in-numbers summary: 24 killed (all civilians, 10 by cluster munitions). Wikipedia Casualties article: 27 civilians killed. Key incidents: Beit Shemesh Mar 1 (9 killed), Haifa Apr 5 (4), Yehud Mar 9 (2), Ramat Gan Mar 17 (2), others. Previous config figure of 84–112 has no sourced basis and was significantly inflated — downgraded accordingly. Ethical flag: Israeli civilian figures are used politically by both sides; Magen David Adom is the most reliable source but its raw data could not be directly fetched.
Updated 2026-07-31: range raised 42-50 -> 43-51 — an Iranian strike hit a Chinese company's building in northern Kuwait on Jul 30, killing one worker and causing severe material damage, per Kuwait's Defense Ministry; occurred hours after Jordan's military intercepted five Iranian missiles the same night (no casualties).
The International Maritime Organization reported 19 seafarers killed since the war began as of Aug 28, 2026; that floor rises to at least 20 after the bunker tanker Hercules Star was struck at anchor off Dubai Sep 9, killing one crew member (a second remains missing and unconfirmed). Wikipedia separately documents 10 foreign civilians killed in UAE strikes alone (nationalities: Pakistan 4, Bangladesh 2, Egypt 1, India 1, Morocco 1, Nepal 1), a subset of, not additive to, the IMO figure. Exact cross-theater totals for Filipino, Indian, and Pakistani seafarer casualties from tanker strikes remain unverified; high end kept wide for unresolved Hormuz/tanker deaths. Confidence remains unverified pending a fuller IMO breakdown by nationality.
Iran War Casualties — Sourced Data Table
Every casualty and equipment figure on this page in one table — date confirmed, category, figure (low–high range where sources conflict), and primary source. Last verified 2026-10-09.
Download this data
Cite this data
MilitarySpend.org (2026). Iran War Casualties Dataset. https://militaryspend.org/data — CC-BY 4.0Licensed under CC-BY 4.0. Free to use with attribution.
| Date confirmed | Category | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-01 | US military — KIA (killed in action)Verified | 21–23 | CENTCOM / Military Times / CRS R48887 → |
| 2026-11-01 | US military — WIA (wounded in action)Verified | 865–900 | CENTCOM / Military Times / The Intercept → |
| 2026-11-01 | US military — MIA / unaccountedUnverified | 0–1 | CENTCOM → |
| 2026-11-01 | Iranian military — Military KIA (IRGC + Artesh)Disputed | 1,800–7,650 | HRANA / IDF / IRNA / Hengaw → |
| 2026-11-01 | Iranian military — Senior command killedVerified | 48–52 | Iran International / Al Jazeera / Reuters → |
| 2026-11-01 | Iranian military — Military WIADisputed | 4,200–15,000 | Iranian Red Crescent / IDF / HRANA → |
| 2026-11-01 | Lebanon — Hezbollah fighters KIADisputed | 1,000–2,500 | Wikipedia 2026 Lebanon war / Long War Journal / Times of Israel → |
| 2026-11-01 | Lebanon — Lebanese civilians killedVerified | 4,386 | Lebanese MoH / LBCI → |
| 2026-11-01 | Civilian — Iranian civilians killedDisputed | 1,701–3,636 | HRANA / Iran MoH / Iran Forensic Medicine Org → |
| 2026-11-01 | Civilian — Israeli civilians killedVerified | 28 | Israeli MoH / Times of Israel / Wikipedia → |
| 2026-11-01 | Civilian — Gulf states (UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman)Verified | 43–51 | Wikipedia Casualties of the 2026 Iran war / The National Jun 3 → |
| 2026-11-01 | Civilian — Third-country nationalsUnverified | 20–45 | Wikipedia Casualties of the 2026 Iran war → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US F-15E Strike EagleVerified | 4 (~$376.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US MQ-9 ReaperVerified | 45 (~$1.35B) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US AN/TPY-2 THAAD radarVerified | 4 (~$2.00B) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US E-3 Sentry AWACSVerified | 1 (~$270.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US RQ-4 Global HawkVerified | 2 (~$352.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US MQ-4C TritonVerified | 1 (~$180.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US KC-135 StratotankerVerified | 7 (~$875.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US A-10 Thunderbolt IIVerified | 1 (~$19.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US F-35A Lightning IIVerified | 1 (~$82.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US MC-130J Commando IIVerified | 2 (~$200.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US HH-60W Jolly Green IIVerified | 1 (~$28.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US AH-64 ApacheVerified | 1 (~$36.00M) | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — US MH-60S SeahawkVerified | 1 | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — Iran Air defense systems (Bavar-373, S-300)Verified | 22 | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — Iran Ballistic/cruise missile TELsVerified | 60 | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — Iran Combat aircraft (F-4, F-14, Su-24)Verified | 18 | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
| 2026-10-09 | Equipment — Iran Naval (Kilo-class sub, frigates, fast boats)Verified | 14 | Spokesman-Review (Washington Post) → |
Equipment Losses
US attrition per CSIS Day-14 update (~$3.6B). Iranian figures from IDF BDA and satellite imagery; unit costs not publicly disclosed. Replacing these airframes and interceptors is funded from the US military spending in 2026 budget, and the work goes to the top US defense contractors that build them.
| Side | System | Count | Unit Cost | Total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | F-15E Strike Eagle | 4 | $94.00M | $376.00M | Two lost to SA-21 systems over western Iran; one to engine failure post-combat. CRS IN12692 (May 13, 2026) confirmed total of 4 F-15Es lost or damaged across OEF. |
| US | MQ-9 Reaper | 45 | $30.00M | $1.35B | The Washington Post (Aug 13, 2026, citing three US officials) reported US MQ-9 Reaper losses have reached 45 — about 25% of the pre-war 185-drone fleet (165 Air Force + 20 Marine Corps) — valued at over $1.3B; not all are combat losses, some are attributed to lost comms links between drone and operator rather than enemy fire. |
| US | AN/TPY-2 THAAD radar | 4 | $500.00M | $2.00B | Struck by Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles at forward deployment sites. |
| US | E-3 Sentry AWACS | 1 | $270.00M | $270.00M | Aircrew KIA. Deadliest single US air loss of the war. CRS IN12692 (May 13) lists 1 E-3 Sentry. |
| US | RQ-4 Global Hawk | 2 | $176.00M | $352.00M | Lost over Persian Gulf; debris recovered by Iran and publicly displayed. |
| US | MQ-4C Triton | 1 | $180.00M | $180.00M | CSIS Day-14 attrition update. CRS IN12692 (May 13) confirms 1 MQ-4C Triton lost in mishap. |
| US | KC-135 Stratotanker | 7 | $125.00M | $875.00M | Mid-air collision over western Iraq Mar 12 during Epic Fury sortie killed all 6 crew (non-hostile). CRS IN12692 (May 13, 2026) confirmed 7 KC-135s damaged or lost across OEF — up from the single confirmed mid-air collision. |
| US | A-10 Thunderbolt II | 1 | $19.00M | $19.00M | CRS IN12692 (May 13, 2026) lists 1 A-10 Thunderbolt II lost in OEF. Previously not tracked in this config. |
| US | F-35A Lightning II | 1 | $82.00M | $82.00M | CRS IN12692 (May 13, 2026) lists 1 F-35A Lightning II damaged in OEF. IRGC also claimed targeting an F-35 during May 26 self-defense strikes; CENTCOM did not confirm. Previously not tracked in this config. |
| US | MC-130J Commando II | 2 | $100.00M | $200.00M | CRS IN12692 (May 13, 2026) lists 2 MC-130J Commando II aircraft destroyed on the ground in OEF. Previously not tracked in this config. |
| US | HH-60W Jolly Green II | 1 | $28.00M | $28.00M | CRS IN12692 (May 13, 2026) lists 1 HH-60W that took small-arms fire in OEF. Previously not tracked in this config. |
| US | AH-64 Apache | 1 | $36.00M | $36.00M | Downed near Strait of Hormuz on Jun 9, 2026 after collision with Iranian Shahed one-way attack drone during patrol. Both crew rescued uninjured by US Navy unmanned surface vessel (Corsair USV, Task Force 59). Whether drone collision was intentional under investigation; aircraft sank/is unrecoverable and considered a combat loss — multiple sources describe it as "lost" and "first US Apache lost in the Iran war." CENTCOM confirmed crew rescue but did not release aircraft-loss language. |
| US | MH-60S Seahawk | 1 | — | — | HSC-5 "Nightdippers" helicopter, embarked USS George H.W. Bush, made a non-hostile emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea Jul 1, 2026. Aircraft commander Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards was recovered deceased after a 102+ hour, 14,000+ sq mi search; posthumously promoted to captain. Navy states no indication of hostile action; airframe not recovered. No official unit-cost disclosure found for this specific loss, so left null rather than estimated. |
| Iran | Air defense systems (Bavar-373, S-300) | 22 | — | — | BDA from satellite imagery; IDF and Pentagon concur. No unit-cost disclosure. |
| Iran | Ballistic/cruise missile TELs | 60 | — | — | IDF claims 60+ launchers destroyed. Independent confirmation limited. |
| Iran | Combat aircraft (F-4, F-14, Su-24) | 18 | — | — | Largely destroyed on the ground at Hamadan, Bandar Abbas, Tehran-Mehrabad. |
| Iran | Naval (Kilo-class sub, frigates, fast boats) | 14 | — | — | 1 Kilo-class reportedly damaged; frigate Jamaran struck Mar 9. |
| US total attrition | $5.77B | ||||
How We Count and Cite
Why numbers vary
Both Iranian and Israeli governments have strong incentives to distort. Iran minimizes its military losses and maximizes civilian casualties; Israel and the US claim operational success. Independent verification inside Iran is severely limited by internet throttling, press restrictions, and the post-Khamenei succession crisis.
How we source
We publish low-high ranges drawn from two or more sources wherever possible. We prefer independents (HRANA, UNOCHA, CSIS, Brown Costs of War) over government briefings. Every figure carries a "last verified" date and a confidence flag: verified, disputed, or unverified.
What we do not publish
We do not publish single-source government claims as headline numbers. We do not sum contested figures across sides into a single death toll. We do not estimate indirect deaths (displacement, infrastructure collapse, denied medical care) — see Brown Costs of War for that work.
Update cadence
Figures are reviewed daily against DoD releases, CRS updates, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and Haaretz. Major revisions are logged on our /corrections page. If you believe a figure is wrong, contact us with source links.
Timeline of Major Casualty Events
Pentagon raises official US war dead to 21; wounded 865
DCAS added two non-combat deaths, Maj. Sorffly Davius (Kuwait, Mar 6) and a Navy sailor (September), lifting US KIA from 19 to 21. Wounded stand at 865; the Washington Post count of 22-23 is still higher.
DCAS wounded tally quietly raised to 861, no incident disclosed
DCAS raised its Iran-war wounded count from 831 to 861 (+37: 29 Navy, 8 Marines) with no new incident disclosed, the Washington Post reports; CENTCOM declined to comment.
Army names 19th Iran-war death as Capt. Bianca Wilkerson
The Army named the Sep 21 non-hostile death as Capt. (posth. Maj.) Bianca C. Wilkerson, 37, of Norfolk, VA -- a fatal medical emergency aboard a flight to Saudi Arabia. She had been deployed to Doha, Qatar.
DCAS update: 19th US death, non-hostile; wounded raised to 831
A female Army officer over 35 died of a medical emergency on a flight to Saudi Arabia, raising US KIA 18 -> 19; US WIA rose 820 -> 831 (combined 850). First widely reported Sep 22, a catch-up item for this pass.
Tanker La Stephanie hit entering Hormuz; 2 crew wounded
UKMTO said an unknown projectile struck the inbound tanker La Stephanie near the Strait of Hormuz, wounding two crew (minor injuries); the vessel continued under its own power. No deaths -- not folded into any tracked row.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Iran war death toll?
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The Iran war death toll stands at 9,047–18,371 killed across all sides as of 2026-10-09. That combines US military (21–23), Iranian military (1,800–7,650), Iranian senior commanders (48–52), Hezbollah fighters (1,000–2,500), Lebanese civilians (4,386), Iranian civilians (1,701–3,636), Israeli civilians (28), Gulf-state deaths (43–51) and third-country nationals (20–45).
How many casualties in the Iran war?
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Casualties and deaths are not the same count, and the gap is large. Deaths run 9,047–18,371. Wounded are tracked separately and run far higher: US WIA 865–900, Iranian military WIA 4,200–15,000, and 12,407 wounded in Lebanon. Adding wounded to killed puts total casualties well above 30,000 — which is why most headline figures quote deaths only. Always check which one a source means.
What are total Iran war casualties?
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Our total counts deaths from the fronts directly tied to Operation Epic Fury: US, Iranian and Israeli forces, Hezbollah, and civilians in Iran, Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf states. It excludes Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (20 killed, Jul 28) and Yemen’s Houthi-Saudi conflict, which are separate wars that predate this one. It also excludes indirect deaths — displacement, infrastructure collapse, denied medical care — which no source has yet estimated credibly.
How many Americans have died in the Iran war?
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21–23 US service members have been killed and 865–900 wounded. The Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) carries the official running total and CENTCOM publishes individual releases naming each of the dead. These are the best-documented figures on this page: they come from one accountable system with named casualties, unlike the Iranian and Lebanese tolls.
How many US soldiers have been killed in the Iran war?
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The official DCAS count is 21, raised from 19 by an Oct 9, 2026 database update that added two non-combat deaths. Our high figure of 23 reflects a Washington Post report (Sep 18, 2026, citing 5-6 unnamed officials) that the true toll is 22-23; Defense Secretary Hegseth publicly denied the report as a "complete lie," and the gap remains unresolved pending DoD confirmation. DCAS separately displayed an uncorrected lower count on Jul 23–24 that the Pentagon called a "temporary data disruption."
How many Iranian soldiers have been killed?
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Between 1,800–7,650, plus 48–52 senior commanders. The range spans more than fourfold because it brackets two adversarial claims: Iranian state media reports the low end, Israeli defence intelligence the high end, and no independent body has been able to count inside Iran. We publish both bounds rather than averaging two numbers that were each produced to serve an argument.
How many Iranians have died in the war so far?
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Iranian deaths span military and civilian. Military: 1,800–7,650, plus 48–52 senior commanders. Civilian: 1,701–3,636, documented by HRANA and Iran’s Health Ministry. Iranian military wounded add a further 4,200–15,000. Iran is both the largest and the least verifiable share of this war’s toll.
How many civilians have died in the Iran war?
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Roughly 6,178–8,146 civilians across four theatres: Lebanon (4,386, the single largest category in this war), Iran (1,701–3,636), the Gulf states (43–51) and Israel (28), plus 20–45 third-country nationals — mostly merchant seafarers killed in Strait of Hormuz shipping attacks.
How many US aircraft have been lost?
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CRS IN12692 (May 13, 2026) confirmed US equipment losses through mid-May: 4 F-15E Strike Eagles, 24 MQ-9 Reapers, 2 RQ-4 Global Hawks, 1 MQ-4C Triton, 1 E-3 Sentry AWACS, 4 AN/TPY-2 THAAD radars, 7 KC-135 Stratotankers, 1 A-10, 1 F-35A, 2 MC-130Js, and 1 HH-60W. On Jun 9, 2026 an AH-64 Apache was downed near Hormuz by an Iranian drone (crew rescued, considered a combat loss). On Jul 1, 2026 an MH-60S Seahawk made a non-hostile water landing; the aircrew commander was recovered deceased. The Washington Post reported Aug 13, 2026, citing three US officials, that MQ-9 Reaper losses have since climbed to 45 — about 25% of the pre-war 185-drone fleet, valued at over $1.3B — up sharply from the CRS mid-May count of 24. Total US equipment attrition is now roughly $5.8B across 13 aircraft/radar types.
Why do casualty numbers vary so widely?
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Both Iranian and Israeli governments have strong incentives to distort — Iran to minimize military losses and maximize civilian losses, Israel and the US to claim operational success. Independent verification inside Iran is extremely limited. We publish ranges citing both sides plus independent sources (HRANA, UNOCHA, CSIS, CRS) where available, and flag disputed figures rather than averaging them into a single number.
Is there a public DoD casualty list?
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Yes — CENTCOM publishes individual KIA press releases and Military.com's "Honor the Fallen" page lists the confirmed war dead, including 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, and Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad from the Jul 17-18 Jordan attack, and Capt. (posthumously Maj.) Bianca C. Wilkerson, who died Sep 21 of a non-hostile medical emergency. The Pentagon's Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) tracks the running total, officially 21 as of an Oct 9, 2026 database update (up from 13 as of a March 26, 2026 CRS R48887 citation). The DCAS site briefly displayed a lower, uncorrected 14/420 KIA/WIA count on Jul 23-24, which Pentagon officials called a "temporary data disruption." Our tracker aggregates official releases with independent reporting and flags any figure that relies on a single government source.
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