Commerce Secretary Apologizes for Erroneously Stating No US Deaths in Iran War

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick apologized Thursday for erroneously stating on television that no Americans had died in the war with Iran.

Lutnick posted on X that he misspoke and was thinking about the US operation in Venezuela. He acknowledged that "18 members of our military have died, and to those families my heart breaks and I am so very sorry for their loss." President Donald Trump claimed Lutnick had Venezuela on his mind when he said nobody was killed, adding, "18 people were killed in Iran!"

Trump posted this on his Truth Social platform on Thursday. Lutnick made the initial erroneous statement on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Wednesday, where he described the administration’s approach to Iran as an economic choke-out. The Pentagon's count confirms 18 US service members have died in the six-month-old US-Israel war on Iran. The US has also reported more than 750 military personnel wounded in the conflict.

Private Isabella Gonzales was killed in an Iranian airstrike in Jordan, with her remains carried at Dover Air Force Base on July 22. In the Venezuela operation, US forces captured Nicolás Maduro in January, with the Pentagon reporting seven US troops injured and no deaths. Venezuelan officials reported 47 overall deaths, and Cuba reported 32 military and police personnel killed in that operation.

Lutnick's CNBC interview did not include any mention of Venezuela. His televised claim sparked outrage and ridicule. The ongoing conflict has also raised gasoline prices across the country, impacting cost-of-living issues. Trump's defense of Lutnick came as Iranian authorities detailed heavy casualties from recent US strikes.