Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is accused of deliberately obscuring the true human cost of the war with Iran – and potentially depriving benefits from the families of service members killed in the conflict. A Pentagon official defended the changes, saying casualties are now classified as overseas operations "since Operation Epic Fury has concluded," adding that the tracking system is not what determines benefits. "I've never heard of manipulating the operation's name or the operation's category in this way," one told MS NOW. Duckworth warns the reclassification could affect how veterans and families qualify for benefits, since combat-connected injuries are treated differently than general operational injuries under VA rules. As of Thursday, 270 troops have been wounded under "Overseas Operations," bringing total injuries from the conflict to 687.