Iranian cruise missile hit a ship carrying 8 US Marines in the Strait of Hormuz on Sept. 14; the Pentagon never announced it

What we’re less sure of4 of 7 claims

• Medium

  An Iranian cruise missile hit a ship carrying eight U.S. Marines in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Sept. 14.

  The story attributes this to three unnamed U.S. officials speaking to NBC News. The Washington Post, TODAY, Military.com and @specopsmag carry the same account, but every outlet relies on those same unnamed officials. There is no Pentagon or CENTCOM confirmation, and CENTCOM declined to comment (ABC

• Medium

  The eight Marines were seven enlisted and one officer from a Marine landing unit and had smoke inhalation and possible traumatic brain injuries; none were seriously hurt and all returned to duty soon after.

  The story says 'officials said' for the severity and return to duty. The breakdown and symptoms are carried by the NBC Morning Rundown, Military.com and Tasnim, all tracing back to the same unnamed U.S. officials.

• Medium

  The Pentagon never disclosed the attack.

  The Washington Post and Military.com say the injuries were not publicly announced. However, Military.com, i24NEWS and Tasnim say the eight were entered into the Pentagon's DCAS casualty database about 10 days later, so 'never disclosed' overstates it: the injuries were recorded, not announced. In th

• Low

  Over the summer the Pentagon lowered its reported death toll after reclassifying how some troops had died.

  AP via KRGV reports the toll fell from 18 to 14 but cites a 'temporary data disruption', not a reclassification. That makes the causal framing the desk's own. It also conflicts with the story's later '18 the Pentagon acknowledged' and with GlobalSecurity's '18 KIA unrevised', which suggests the toll