The U.S. government late Tuesday revealed that 50 American service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following the missile strikes led by Iran on January 8. The military initially announced 34 injuries.
According to The Guardian, the news of injured American troops came after U.S. President Donald Trump initially said that there were no casualties nor injuries during the attack on two Iraqi bases earlier this month.
Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Campbell said in a statement that while 31 of the injured military men have returned to duty, 18 others had to be transported to Germany for monitoring and observation.
Campbell further noted that the numbers can still change through time. However, Trump previously downplayed the issue, saying last week that the injured troops "had headaches and a couple of other things."
Despite Trump's statements regarding the diagnosis of his troops, some Pentagon officials argued that it is still likely the number of diagnosed military men will increase as the days pass.
Furthermore, some analysts pointed out that the extent of injuries and the increasing number of troops being diagnosed for traumatic brain injury just shows that there was a massive impact when the missile attacks were launched.
Last week, a well-recognized veterans group demanded an apology from the U.S. president following his comments that downplayed the severity of traumatic brain injury, CNN reported. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) said they are expecting Trump to apologize for his "misguided remarks."
VFW national commander Willam "Doc" Schmitz called on Trump to "join with us in our efforts to educate" the American masses about the negative effects of brain injuries. He added that at this point, the U.S. troops need unity for full support as they overcome the challenges that come with TBI.
Meanwhile, an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq has raised debates on the capabilities that Iran has in terms of attacking whenever and wherever it pleases. The mortar attack on Sunday has been translated as a signal from Tehran.
Around five mortar rounds were fired at the compound on Sunday, with one mortar hitting a military dining facility. Casualties were minor but the attack was already the fourth in a string of seemingly retaliatory strikes from Iran.
A regional security official spoke with INSIDER on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. "The message here is that the Iranians tend to hit what they target," he noted, adding that the attacks seem to be in crowded areas.
The official further explained that Sunday's attack is a signal that indicates every response from Tehran should the U.S. escalate tensions will be more accurate and decisive if ever.
