00:20What if everything you've heard about U.S. casualties in the Iran conflict isn't the
00:26full story? Official numbers say just over a dozen troops killed, but some reports claim the real
00:33number could be in the thousands. So what's actually going on? As Operation Epic Fury enters
00:39its second month, the United States has been carrying out major strikes on Iranian targets,
00:45missile bases, naval assets, even leadership figures. The Pentagon says the mission is working,
00:51but behind the headlines, a different narrative is emerging. According to U.S. officials,
00:57around 13 to 15 American service members killed, roughly 200 to 500 wounded, most injuries reportedly
01:05minor, shrapnel, concussions, smoke inhalation. The message is clear, losses are limited and the
01:13operation is under control. Trump also mentioned that 13 U.S. troops have been killed by the IRGC
01:20a day earlier.
01:21As I stated in my announcement of Operation Epic Fury, our objectives are very simple and clear.
01:29We are systematically dismantling the regime's ability to threaten America or project power
01:35outside of their borders. That means eliminating Iran's navy, which is now absolutely destroyed,
01:44hurting their air force and their missile program at levels never seen before,
01:49and annihilating their defense industrial base. We've done all of it. Their navy is gone. Their
01:55air force is gone. Their missiles are just about used up or beaten. Taken together, these actions
02:02will cripple Iran military, crush their ability to support terrorist proxies and deny them the ability
02:08to build a nuclear bomb. Our armed forces have been extraordinary. There's never been anything like it
02:16militarily. Everyone is talking about it. And tonight I'm pleased to say that these core strategic
02:22objectives are nearing completion. As we celebrate this progress, we think especially of the 13 American
02:30warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face
02:37a nuclear Iran. Twice this past month, I have traveled to Dover Air Force Base. And it's been something I
02:47wanted to be with those heroes as the return to American soil. And I was with them and their families,
02:53their parents, their wives, husbands. We salute them. And now we must honor them by completing the mission for which
03:02they gave their lives at every single one of the people.
03:05Their loved ones said, please, sir, please finish the job. Every one of them. And we are going to finish
03:12the job and we're going to finish it very fast.
03:15Then came a bombshell report. An investigative outlet claimed that the real number of casualties could be far higher, even
03:22suggesting hundreds killed and thousands affected.
03:25And here's where things get complicated. That massive 13,600 plus figure, it doesn't just include soldiers. It mixes together
03:36U.S. troops, civilian contractors, injuries from months before the operation, even routine medical cases.
03:44So is it a shocking revelation or misleading statistic? In war, numbers are rarely simple. Casualty reporting can be delayed.
03:53Definitions can change. And governments often control what gets released and when. Is that secrecy or strategy?
04:01Critics argue the public isn't getting the full picture. Supporters say inflated numbers are being used to push a narrative.
04:08Here's what we do know. Real people are being injured. Some are dying. And the true cost of this conflict
04:16may take months or years to fully understand.
04:20Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has stepped up his threats against Iran, warning that the U.S. military hasn't
04:27even started destroying what's left of the country's infrastructure,
04:30after a U.S. strike demolished the country's largest bridge. Iran's military warns it will destroy U.S. regional assets
04:38if the U.S. and Israel escalate the strikes on Iran.
04:42Kuwait says a water desalination plant and an oil refinery have been targeted by Iran, as Gulf nations continue to
04:49face attacks from Tehran.
04:51A gas plant in the UAE was also targeted on Friday morning.
04:55Iran has also fired missiles at Israel, where houses and cars have been damaged.
05:01Is the U.S. under-reporting casualties, or are these claims exaggerated?
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05:25Thank you for listening.
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