Central Command Says Nearly 300 US Military Troops Injured in Iran War

‘The vast majority of these injuries have been minor,’ a military official says.

Two B-52s conduct a Central Command bomber task force mission in the Middle East on Feb. 17, 2025. CENTCOM

Nearly 300 U.S. military service members have been injured since the start of the war in Iran, a military spokesperson said on Wednesday.

U.S. Central Command spokesman Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News that “since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 290 U.S. service members have been wounded,” referring to the military operation that was initiated on Feb. 28 and is ongoing.

“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor,” Hawkins  said, “and more than 255 troops have already returned to duty.”

Officials said earlier this week that more than 9,000 targets inside Iran have been struck by the U.S. military, and more than 9,000 flights have been conducted so far. Much of the country’s air force and navy have been destroyed in the strikes, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, also on Wednesday released new video footage of its forces striking Iranian military infrastructure.

“U.S. forces are striking targets to degrade the Iranian regime’s military infrastructure and capabilities that have threatened American troops and regional partners for decades,” Central Command wrote in a post on X.

On Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. government was in talks with Iran to end the war as diplomatic efforts picked up and Iranian officials issued denials. Meanwhile, airstrikes battered the Islamic Republic while Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel and sites across the region.

Iran agreed to scrap its plans to pursue a nuclear weapon, Trump said on Tuesday at a White House event. But on Wednesday, Iranian state-run media carried a statement from an unnamed official pushing back on Washington’s plan and issuing a five-point plan to boost its own interests.

Tehran’s plan includes a halt to the killing of its officials, a way to ensure no other war is waged against it, war reparations, the end of hostilities, and giving Iran capacity to exercise its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Also this week, Trump said he was delaying his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran’s stranglehold on the crucial waterway has snarled international shipping, increased fuel prices, and impacted the world economy.

Trump stated he would hold off on a threat to bomb Iran’s power stations while talks unfold, initially saying that he would give the country’s regime 48 hours to respond. He later said that Iran would have five days to respond to the White House’s overtures.

Cargo ships sail in the Arabian Gulf towards Strait of Hormuz in United Arab Emirates on March 19, 2026. AP Photo

In a bid to end the war, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that his country is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” to end the conflict. “Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honored” to be involved, he said.

The Epoch Times contacted the Department of War for comment but did not hear back by publication time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.