The Brief The U.S. military killed at least 153 civilians in 2025, according to the Pentagon. Civilian casualties for 2026 could prove much higher with the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. The Pentagon says the U.S. military killed 153 civilians in 2025, up from two civilians killed in 2024, though independent reports put that number at much higher, Reuters reports. Dig deeper:The Pentagon report didn’t include casualties from military strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, where the administration has struck multiple vessels it accuses of trafficking narcotics. The strikes have killed more than 200 people since September, 2025, but the U.S. military does not consider them civilian casualties.