First Thing: Pentagon accused of disrespecting war dead as Trump threatens to resume Iran war

Donald Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews on Monday. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP View image in fullscreen Donald Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews on Monday. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP First Thing: Pentagon accused of disrespecting war dead as Trump threatens to resume Iran war Controversial move to classify Iran war as two separate campaigns criticised as attempt to minimise casualty figures. Plus, the man who started an animal shelter after a dog saved his life Good morning. A controversial move by the Pentagon to reclassify casualties in the Iran war as being killed in “Overseas Operations” is being taken by US military veterans as a sign of disrespect for the dead. Michael E Smith, a retired US rear admiral who completed combat tours in Iraq, Bosnia and Kosovo said “It’s such a huge disrespect for the families. To claim that they weren’t killed as a result of the war – oh, it was just overseas operations – is just ludicrous.” The change came as Donald Trump once again warned that the US will return to “strong military action” against Iran if diplomatic efforts do not bring a rapid resolution to the crisis in the Middle East. “We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don’t work out, we will go back to very strong military action,” the US president told Axios on Monday. Asked for how long he would allow the talks to proceed, he answered: “Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all.” What changes did the Department of Defense make? The Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), a military database for displaying casualties, introduced a new casualty category labeled “Overseas Operations” for personnel killed and wounded “starting July 7”. That splits the count from the beginning of the US-Israel war on Iran into effectively two different campaigns. How is the administration justifying the change? The War Powers Act of 1973 requires the president to end military operations within 60 days unless Congress authorizes an extension, which it has not. The Trump administration has argued that the April ceasefire with Iran paused the clock on 1 May for the conflict’s initial period. The separate casualty count beginning on 7 July follows that interpretation. Michigan progressive Abdul El-Sayed says ‘ogre’ remark not directed at rival View image in fullscreen Abdul El-Sayed. Photograph: Robin Buckson/Pool Detroit News/AP The Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said his comments that progressives need to put the head of an “ogre” on a pike was in reference to the US senator John Fetterman – not his opponent, representative Haley Stevens. The comments drew immediate backlash from several high-profile Democrats and charges of sexism by those who believed the remark was a reference to Stevens. El-Sayed claimed he had been speaking of supporting a primary challenge to Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat who campaigned as a progressive but has moved to the right since taking office. “I was referring to a guy named John Fetterman, wh