(EDITOR'S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy.) In this handout released by U.S. Central Command, U.S. Sailors transfer ordnance on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), on February 27, 2026 in the Arabian Sea. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed killed after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and targeting U.S. allies in the region. (Photo: U.S. Central Command via Getty Images) By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali
The casualty figure has not been previously reported. Prior to Reuters' publication of the figure, the Pentagon had only disclosed eight U.S. personnel seriously injured.
In a statement after Reuters published its report, the Pentagon estimated the figure to be approximately 140 wounded and said the vast majority of them were minor.
"Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 140 U.S. service members have been wounded over 10 days of sustained attacks," said chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
He said 108 of the wounded service members had already returned to duty.
Parnell said the eight seriously wounded service members were receiving the highest level of medical care.
Reuters could not determine the types of injuries and whether they include traumatic brain injuries, which are common after exposure to blasts.
Iran has launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. military bases since the start of the conflict on Feb. 28. It has also struck diplomatic missions in Arab Gulf states as well as hotels andairports and damaged oil infrastructure.
The Pentagon says the number of Iranian strikes has fallen sharply since the start of the war, as the U.S. military bombs Iran's weapons inventories and targets Iran's more limited number of missile launchers.
Asked if Iran was a stronger adversary than he expected when the U.S. military drew up its war plans, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters earlier on Tuesday that the fight was not harder than expected.
"I think they're fighting, and I respect that, but I don't think they are more formidable than what we thought," Caine told a Pentagon briefing.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, Editing by Franklin Paul and Deepa Babington)