The Pentagon has quietly admitted that eight Marines were hurt in an Iranian missile attack that was never reported at the time, raising questions about how much the public is being told about the war.

• An Iranian anti-ship cruise missile hit a vessel in mid-September, leaving Marines with smoke inhalation and possible brain injuries.
• The Pentagon added 29 sailors and eight Marines to its wounded list, bringing the total to 861 since the war began in late February, with at least 19 dead.
• Officials insist the ship was not a Navy vessel, a claim hard to square with earlier statements that U.S. ships had dodged every Iranian missile.
• Iran's leadership took credit for the strike and claimed U.S. forces are now holding back near the Strait of Hormuz.
• Critics see the drip-feed of casualty numbers as an effort to keep the war looking cheap until the midterms are over.

Outlook: Expect more casualty figures to surface late and quietly, with reports suggesting a bigger U.S. escalation against Iran is being held back until after the midterm elections.