Thomas Massie says Hegseth 'broke the law' after Pentagon removes 4 US troops from Iran death toll

WASHINGTON, DC: The Pentagon's official casualty tracker removed four American service members from its Iran war death count this week, changing the total from 18 to 14 just days after a dignified transfer for those same four troops at Dover Air Force Base, where President Trump was present.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., seized on the discrepancy Thursday, accusing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of "breaking the law" by continuing military operations in Iran without congressional authorization.

Pentagon explains change in Iran war casualty count

The Defense Casualty Analysis System showed 18 killed as of Wednesday. By Thursday, the number had fallen to 14, even though no new information had emerged suggesting those four service members had not died in the conflict.

Three military officials told The New York Times the change reflected a deliberate decision to exclude the four troops because their deaths occurred after Trump declared a ceasefire with Iran in April, effectively treating the war as two separate conflicts divided by the brief truce.

Pentagon acting press secretary Joel Valdez offered a different explanation, telling The New York Times the shift stemmed from "temporary data disruptions" and "anomalies" on the website that would soon be corrected.

In a statement posted to X, a Pentagon spokesperson said, "The Department of War is aware of temporary data disruptions on the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) website.

These site anomalies are currently being resolved in coordination with the Military Services," adding that the department "remain[s] committed to ensuring the utmost accuracy of all casualty reporting."

Data reviewed separately by CNN has shown recurring delays in DCAS updates, with a Pentagon official previously noting it "can take several days or even weeks" for deaths and injuries to be fully documented, though the same official maintained the database is "regularly updated."

Thomas Massie calls Pentagon casualty change an 'absurd ruse'

"Let me explain this absurd ruse," Massie wrote on X.

"The Pentagon is pretending there have been two Iran wars separated by a brief cease-fire."

"The reality," he explained, is that "by going more than 90 days without congressional authorization @SecWar IS BREAKING THE LAW and must be held accountable."

Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, a president must end unauthorized military action within 60 days, with up to 30 additional days to withdraw forces, unless Congress declares war or otherwise authorizes the operation.

The war began Feb. 28, a ceasefire took hold in April, and fighting resumed in June, with strikes continuing since.

Lawmakers challenge Trump administration's Iran war powers

Massie was joined Thursday by fellow Republican Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson.

They crossed party lines to support a resolution that limits Trump’s war powers.

The House passed it for the second time, with a vote of 214 to 208.

NPR's Claudia Grisales mentioned that the resolution is not legally binding but serves as a symbolic rebuke of the administration's ongoing military action.

AA separate resolution, which would have required an end to the war, failed in the Senate later Thursday. It fell short with a vote of 47 to 49. Even if it had passed, it would still have been subject to a presidential veto.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges criticized the administration's overall handling of casualty transparency, saying the Pentagon under Hegseth has struggled "being honest about what is going on."

The criticism gained fresh attention after the same four troops whose remains Trump personally welcomed home at Dover were, within days, removed from the government's public count of the war's toll.