Eight US service members were injured when an Iranian cruise missile struck a maritime vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on 14 September during an unannounced military operation. The Pentagon did not immediately report the incident; it took approximately ten days before the injured personnel were added to the Department of War's casualty database, prompting accusations from Democratic lawmakers that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is covering up casualties from the Iran conflict. The incident has intensified scrutiny regarding Pentagon transparency in reporting military casualties.

The eight Marines, comprising seven enlisted personnel and one officer, sustained injuries including smoke inhalation and possible traumatic brain injuries, though all returned to duty shortly thereafter. The maritime vessel was not a US Navy ship, and neither the Pentagon nor US Central Command has publicly disclosed details of the operation. According to current figures, 861 US service members have been wounded and 19 killed in the war. The controversy is compounded by concerns raised over the summer when the Pentagon reclassified and reduced previously reported casualty numbers, and by the fact that this September incident remained publicly unannounced until NBC News reported it.