Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Apologizes for Claim That No Americans Died in Iran War

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick apologized on Thursday after falsely stating in a CNBC interview that no Americans had died in the war with Iran. During the Wednesday interview, Lutnick claimed that the administration's approach to Iran was an economic chokeout and that there had been no American deaths. In a subsequent post on X, Lutnick stated that he misspoke because he was thinking about a military operation in Venezuela where no service members died. He expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

Official reports indicate that 18 U.S. service members have been killed and more than 750 have been wounded since the U.S. first attacked Iran in February. President Donald Trump defended the commerce secretary on Truth Social, stating that Lutnick had Venezuela on his mind when he made the comment and confirming that 18 people were killed in Iran.

Reporting on the incident varied by political lean. Center outlets focused on the sequence of the apology and the factual correction. A center left outlet highlighted the apology while also noting previous administration scrutiny regarding the disclosure of casualty numbers and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's criticism of media coverage. A left leaning outlet framed the incident as part of a pattern of struggle for Lutnick, citing other controversial claims made during the same interview regarding data center water usage and Canada.