Panetta slams Pentagon over 'shameful' casualty reporting in Iran war
Former defense secretary Leon Panetta calls the Pentagon’s casualty reporting in the Iran war a 'shameful' opacity as press access shrinks and casualty tallies are disputed (18 killed, ~430 wounded; Pentagon says 96% returned to duty and cites data disruptions). The piece describes months without briefings, media-access restrictions, and accusations that the administration withholds information for political reasons ahead of elections, while officials defend real-time updates and argue not all injuries are publicly disclosed. The context frames a broader tension between wartime transparency and operational security.
