Eight US Marines sustained injuries after an Iranian anti-ship cruise missile struck a maritime vessel they were operating in the Strait of Hormuz. The incident, which occurred on September 14, involved a group consisting of seven enlisted personnel and one officer, all of whom were serving as part of a battalion landing team at the time of the attack.
According to three American officials, the Marines were not critically wounded. However, they suffered from smoke inhalation and experienced concussion-like symptoms, such as persistent headaches, which indicated potential traumatic brain injuries. All eight personnel have since returned to their operational duties.
Officials declined to identify the specific class or flag of the targeted vessel, noting only that it was not a commissioned US Navy warship. The incident has drawn attention to the Department of Defence's casualty documentation processes, which have faced scrutiny since the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran began in February.
As of Wednesday, the Pentagon's Defence Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) had formally recorded 861 US military service members injured throughout the ongoing conflict. The eight Marines were officially entered into the database nearly 10 days after the September 14 strike. A US defence official explained that the delay in reporting was due to the lack of real-time capabilities in the casualty tracking system, combined with the fact that symptoms related to such injuries often manifest several days after the event.
