Trump Defends Commerce Secretary Lutnick's Remarks on Iran War Casualties
While Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's claim that there were no US casualties in the Iran war sparked controversy, President Trump stated that the secretary had confused it with the Venezuela operation.
While US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's assertion that no American service members lost their lives in the war with Iran drew public backlash, President Donald Trump claimed the statement was made in error due to confusion with the Venezuela operation.
Lutnick's Contradictory Statement
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, during a television broadcast, described the US administration's Iran policy as an economic strangulation strategy and claimed that no American lives had been lost in the conflict.
Pentagon Figures and Trump's Defense
President Donald Trump, evaluating Lutnick's statement, argued that the secretary had the Venezuela operation—in which Nicolás Maduro was captured in January—on his mind and therefore used the wrong expression.
Trump's defense contradicted official figures from the Pentagon reporting that 18 US military personnel had lost their lives in the war with Iran.
Correction via Social Media
Following the backlash, Howard Lutnick issued a statement on the X platform, admitting his mistake by stating that it was a slip of the tongue during the live broadcast and that he had intended to refer to the Venezuela operation.
According to Pentagon data, no lives were lost in the Venezuela operation, and only 7 soldiers were injured.