Trump excuses Howard Lutnick for saying there have been no US deaths in Iran war

President Donald Trump posted to social media on Thursday, defending Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who erroneously said on Wednesday that no Americans had been killed in the ongoing war with Iran.

In an interview with CNBC, Lutnick touted the administration's strategy of attempting an "economic choke out" of Iran and said that "there haven't been American deaths."

Eighteen Americans have been killed so far in the conflict, which has now been active for more than six months.

Trump predicted four to five weeks of war. It's been six months.

Trump wrote on social media on Thursday that Lutnick had "Venezuela on his mind" when he made his remarks.

Also on Thursday morning, Lutnick posted to X saying he "misspoke" and offering his condolences to the families of the 18 dead servicemembers.

"I was thinking about the Venezuelan military operation where no service members died," Lutnick wrote.