Iran killed a 19-year-old American soldier. Hegseth’s Pentagon says she didn’t die in the Iran war.
On Friday, The Washington Post reported at least four more military deaths than the Pentagon has disclosed. Hegseth called the report “DISGUSTING and FAKE.”
Her name was Isabella Gonzales, and she grew up in Carrollton, Texas. She graduated from Hebron High School in the spring of 2025 and enlisted in the Army soon after. She finished basic training in December, joined an air defense unit in Germany, and shipped out to an air base in Jordan.
On July 17, an Iranian missile hit the base. Isabella was killed. So was Staff Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, of Queens. Two more soldiers died over the next two days.
After the strike, Trump posted: “Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!”
Within a week, Hegseth’s Pentagon pulled all four of them off the Iran war’s official list of the dead and filed them under a separate heading, “Overseas Operations.” A spokesman blamed a “temporary data disruption.” Then the story changed. The government now says they died during a ceasefire.
An Iranian missile, during a ceasefire.
The names were never put back: Isabella Gonzales, Angel Rampersad, Tyler Feehan, Michael Swinton.
Isabella’s battle buddy from basic training, Elizabeth Medina, told Spectrum News:
“She was more than just a casualty in this war. She was more than just another number.
Now the Post says the count is short again. Five officials told the paper that at least 22 service members have died since the war began in February, four more than the Pentagon’s public list shows. A sixth said 23. That official said some of the uncounted troops didn’t die in the fighting itself, but all of them were serving in the Middle East during the war. The Pentagon wouldn’t explain the gap.
Hegseth’s answer, on X:
“This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE. Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media.”
On Sunday, he told OAN: “Even if we wanted to attempt to hide a combat death, we never would and we never could.”
The report ran on Friday, which was also National POW/MIA Recognition Day, the one with the flag that says “You Are Not Forgotten.” Hegseth attended the Pentagon’s ceremony.
On Saturday, he kicked off what he calls his “Send Me Tour” with an early-morning workout alongside the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. The name comes from the Book of Isaiah, where the prophet answers God’s call: “Here am I; send me.”
Isabella Gonzales already answered. Hegseth’s Pentagon won’t count her.