The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has flatly rejected Iranian claims that American soldiers were captured during the ongoing conflict in one-line calling the allegations “lies and deceptions.”
The statement came after Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, suggested that several US troops had been taken prisoner and that Washington was allegedly hiding the incident by reporting them as killed.
Iranian official Ali Larijani posted on social media that he had been informed that several American soldiers had been captured, suggesting the United States might be misrepresenting their status.
In his X post, Larijani wrote, “It has been reported to me that several American soldiers have been taken prisoner. But the Americans claim that they have been killed in action.” He further added, “Despite their futile efforts, the truth is not something they can hide for too long.”
However, US officials dismissed the assertion almost immediately. A CENTCOM spokesman told Al Jazeera Arabic, “The Iranian regime’s claims of capturing American soldiers are yet another example of its lies and deceptions.”
According to official US figures cited by defense authorities, six American service members have been confirmed killed so far in the conflict.
CENTCOM has repeatedly pushed back against Iranian statements during the conflict, including earlier claims that hundreds of American troops were killed or wounded.
Larijani earlier alleged that Iranian troops killed almost 500 US soldiers during the war and vowed more action against Gulf states that house US bases for Operation Epic Fury.
He said, “When the enemy attacks us from bases in the region, we respond, and we will continue to respond. This is our right and a standing policy. Regional countries must either prevent the US from using their territory against Iran, or we will have no choice but to do it ourselves.”
In a separate claim on Saturday, Larijani wrote on X, “They [the US] are lying that 5-6 American soldiers have been killed.” He further alleged that the US will later exaggerate the number of casualties under the guise of an accident.