The Trump administration sparked outrage Sunday night after new details leaked regarding an Iranian attack on a U.S.-contracted vessel earlier this month.
On Sept. 14, Iran struck the ship near the Strait of Hormuz, causing what Fox News’ Trey Yingst called “minor injuries” when reporting on the incident Sept. 16. But according to a report published Sunday night from NBC News, a total of eight U.S. Marines were injured in the attack, and may have suffered “traumatic brain injuries.”
“Eight U.S. Marines were injured two weeks ago when an Iranian cruise missile attacked the ship they were operating on in the Strait of Hormuz, according to three U.S. officials,” NBC News reported, calling the details “previously unreported.”
“The Marines were not seriously injured, but they sustained smoke inhalation and possibly traumatic brain injuries, as they had symptoms of concussions, such as headaches, the officials said.”
Outrage soon surged in the wake of NBC News’ report. Attorney and MeidasTouch co-founder Ben Meiselas expressed confusion that the details on U.S. service member injuries were being reported weeks later, writing “What the hell is going on?” Geopolitical risk consultant Brett Erickson argued the report underscored why President Donald Trump should end his deeply unpopular war against Iran immediately.
“THESE are the exact type of events that could have seen MULTIPLE Americans killed,” Erickson wrote in a social media post on X. “It is increasingly clear that the United States is putting TROOPS aboard vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz. End this war. Remove our troops from the region. BEFORE a disaster strikes.”
Erickson’s appeal to Trump would likely fall on deaf ears, suggested mathematician and published researcher Majid Hosseini, who argued injuries to U.S. service members weren’t a concern for the commander in chief.
“Trump couldn’t care less,” Hosseini wrote in a social media post on X. “For Trump the only thing that matters is Trump. Remember the day after Charlie Kirk, his devoted friend, was murdered: he was dancing in the stadium.”
MAJOR BREAKING: New reporting from NBC indicates that EIGHT marines were injured in a recent Iranian attack on a vessel likely transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the NBC reporting:
“The Marines were not on a U.S. Navy ship, according to the officials. The officials… https://t.co/oaXgo1uRjv
— Brett Erickson (@BrettErickson28) September 28, 2026