8 US Marines Wounded in Secret Iranian Missile Strike
An Iranian anti-ship cruise missile struck a vessel carrying US Marines wounded in the Strait of Hormuz on September 14, 2026. While the incident caused injuries to eight personnel, the Pentagon did not publicly announce the strike at the time, leaving the event undisclosed for 14 days.
Details of the Attack and Injuries
According to three U.S. officials speaking to NBC News, the service members were part of a battalion landing team. Crucially, the Marines were not on a commissioned Navy warship but were instead stationed on a commercial vessel during the strike.
The impact resulted in injuries to seven enlisted Marines and one officer. The personnel suffered from:
- Smoke inhalation
- Symptoms consistent with concussions
Despite the nature of the strike, none of the injuries were reported as serious, and all eight service members have since returned to their duties.
Delayed Reporting and Verification
The details of the incident only surfaced after the injuries were added to the official casualty database nearly ten days after the event. This delayed disclosure came to light following reports by NBC News, Military.com, and The Jerusalem Post. Interestingly, the UKMTO had previously documented a cargo ship being struck by an unidentified projectile in the