US Marines Injured in Undisclosed Iranian Cruise Missile Attack on Vessel in Hormuz

Eight US Marines were injured on September 14 in an Iranian cruise missile attack targeting a vessel they were working on in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident not officially announced by US authorities at the time. US officials indicated that the injuries were not serious, explaining that the soldiers suffered from smoke inhalation and displayed symptoms consistent with concussion, including headaches, which raised the possibility of traumatic brain injuries. The injured, comprising seven soldiers and one officer, returned to duty shortly after the attack. The group members were part of an amphibious assault team belonging to a Marine battalion and were not aboard a US Navy ship. Officials did not disclose the name, type, or owner of the vessel, simply describing it as a "naval ship." The US Department of Defense did not announce an attack on its forces in the region on September 14. A spokesperson for the US Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to comment on the incident, while the Department of Defense referred questions about the attack to CENTCOM. The injuries of the eight soldiers were added to the Pentagon's Defense Casualty Analysis System approximately ten days after the attack. System data, as of Wednesday, showed 861 US military personnel recorded as injured during what is referred to as "the war with Iran." A US official clarified that delayed registration of some injuries is common, as certain symptoms, particularly those related to brain injuries, may not appear immediately, and the database is not updated in real-time. Publicly available records do not include details about the location, timing, or circumstances of the injuries. This attack comes as US forces impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports via the Strait of Hormuz, in an attempt to prevent commercial vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard continues to attempt to target ships almost daily, coinciding with a gradual increase in commercial navigation through the Strait.