Lutnick Apologizes After Correcting His Iran War Deaths Statement

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he misspoke while answering a question about U.S. military action in Iran at a G20 innovation summit the previous day. Lutnick acknowledged that 18 U.S. service members had died and apologized to their families, saying he was “so very sorry for their loss.” He said he had confused the Iran conflict with the U.S. operation in Venezuela, where no American service members died. Lutnick also invoked the approaching 25th anniversary of September 11, noting that his brother Gary, his best friend Doug, and 656 other friends and colleagues were killed at the World Trade Center.