'American soldiers captured': Iran makes BIG claim amid raging war with US, Israel; CENTCOM says...
Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani claimed several US soldiers were captured, accusing Washington of hiding the truth. CENTCOM rejected the allegation as false. With casualties mounting and tensions escalating, the ongoing US–Iran conflict continues to intensify across the region.
US soldiers captured by Iran?
In a massive claim, Iran's security chief Ali Larijani has said that several US soldiers have been captured by and taken as prisoner. He claimed that the Trump administration is lying about the death of only six soldiers and would later admit to the capturing of the other soldiers under to pretext of an accident. His statement comes as the war in Iran entered ninth day on Sunday (March 8). If true, the capture of US soldiers will escalate the war further and complicate the matter for worse.
What Larijani claimed
In a post on X, Larijani said, “t has been reported to me that several American soldiers have been taken prisoner. But the Americans claim that they have been killed in action. Despite their futile efforts, the truth is not something they can hide for too long.” In another post, he repeated that “American soldiers have been captured…They are lying…Later, under the pretext of an accident, they will inflate the number of casualties." Larijani did not provide any proof for his statement.
CENTCOM claims the statements are untrue
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins in response to Larijani’s post wrote, “The Iranian regime is doing everything it can to peddle lies and deceive. This is yet another clear example." A spokesperson from US Central Command (CENTCOM) in a statement to Al Jazeera Arabic, said, “The Iranian regime’s claims of capturing American soldiers are yet another example of its lies and deceptions." Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer of six US service members killed so far. Trump acknowledged the loss, saying, “It’s a very sad day.” When asked if the ceremony made him reconsider the war, the president defended the military campaign, saying, “We’re winning the war by a lot.” He added that the parents of the fallen troops “were so proud” and described such deaths as “always a very sad thing.” Trump has previously warned that more US casualties could occur.
What are the casualties in the war so far?
At least six members of the US armed forces have been killed. The Tasnim news agency in Iran reported this week that an estimated 1,332 people have been killed, including approximately 180 children who died in a strike. 10–12 civilians in Israel were reportedly killed by attacks from Iran. Casualties have been reported in the UAE, including nationals from Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The number might not be accurate at the moment
What we know of Israel-Iran-US war
The war began on February 28, after the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran amid ongoing nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The administration of US President Donald Trump dubbed the military campaign “Operation Epic Fury." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in the attack. Iran is in retaliatory mode and has not spared even its neighbours.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
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