Lutnick Apologizes for Iran War Death Error

PHOTO CAPTION: U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Official White House photo by Daniel Torok.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick apologized Thursday after incorrectly saying no Americans had died in the war with Iran, acknowledging that 18 U.S. service members have been killed and more than 750 wounded.

Lutnick made the initial statement Wednesday during an interview with CNBC while discussing the Trump administration’s strategy toward Iran. He said there “haven’t been American deaths” as he described the campaign as increasingly focused on economic pressure.

The statement was incorrect. The United States has reported 18 military personnel killed and more than 750 wounded during the conflict.

On Thursday, Lutnick issued an apology and said he had been thinking about the earlier U.S. military operation in Venezuela, where no American service members were killed.

“I misspoke,” Lutnick wrote, before acknowledging the 18 military deaths and apologizing to their families.

Reuters noted that Venezuela had not been mentioned during the portion of Wednesday’s CNBC interview in which Lutnick made the statement about Iran.

President Donald Trump defended Lutnick shortly before the Commerce secretary issued his apology. Trump said Lutnick had Venezuela on his mind when he made the remark and separately acknowledged that 18 Americans had been killed in the Iran conflict.

The correction comes as U.S. forces remain involved in an increasingly costly military campaign against Iran. American troops have faced missile and drone attacks across the region while U.S. forces continue carrying out strikes and other operations.

For military families, however, Lutnick’s error centered on a much simpler fact: 18 American service members have died in the conflict.

Lutnick said Thursday that he was sorry for the mistake and for the loss suffered by their families.

Source: Reuters