Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Warn Iran Conflict Feels Like ‘Déjà Vu’ as U.S. Airstrikes Expand

Post-9/11 veterans say renewed military escalation with Iran echoes the early days of America’s longest wars, raising concerns about strategy, sacrifice, and lessons learned.

WASHINGTON | As U.S. military strikes against Iranian targets intensify, many veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan say the unfolding conflict feels hauntingly familiar — a potential repeat of the prolonged campaigns that defined America’s post-9/11 military era.

The renewed hostilities, tied to the ongoing U.S. campaign known as Operation Epic Fury, have triggered deep reflection within the veteran community about the strategic direction of American military policy in the Middle East.

Several former service members who deployed during the Global War on Terror told reporters the escalation evokes the earliest days of the conflicts that followed the September 11 attacks — wars that ultimately stretched across two decades.

For many veterans, the concern is not simply about the current air campaign but about whether the United States is again entering a conflict without a clearly defined end state.

Veterans Recall the Long Shadow of Iraq and Afghanistan

Following the attacks of 2001, the United States launched major military operations in Afghanistan and later Iraq to dismantle terrorist networks and stabilize the region.

Those campaigns became America’s longest wars, with more than 7,000 U.S. service members killed and tens of thousands wounded before U.S. combat operations ended and troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.

Pentagon Reports 140 U.S. Troops Wounded in Operation Epic Fury as Iran Conflict Intensifies

Defense officials confirm seven U.S. service members killed and eight critically injured as sustained Iranian attacks mark the most significant casualty update of the conflict’s second week.

WASHINGTON | The United States Department of Defense confirmed Tuesday that approximately 140 U.S. service members have been wounded during the first ten days of combat operations tied to Operation Epic Fury, providing the most detailed casualty assessment yet of the rapidly evolving conflict involving Iran.

According to Pentagon officials, seven U.S. troops have been killed since the start of the operation, while eight wounded service members are suffering life-threatening injuries and receiving advanced medical treatment at military medical facilities.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, said the majority of the wounded have sustained minor injuries, and many have already returned to duty.

“Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 140 U.S. service members have been wounded over 10 days of sustained attacks,” Parnell said in an official statement. “The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty.”