Iran claims US soldiers captured amid ongoing war; Washington denies
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s National Security Council, claimed on Saturday that several US soldiers have been captured since the outbreak of the war last week.
In a post on the social media platform X, Larijani said that the United States was attempting to conceal the captures, stating, “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. Despite their futile efforts, the truth is not something they can hide for too long.”
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. Despite their futile efforts, the truth is not something they can hide for too long.
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 7, 2026
Read more: US & ‘Israel’ at war with Iran | Day 9 coverage
The US military quickly refuted the claims. US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins responded, “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) echoed the denial in a statement to Al Jazeera, calling Iran’s statements “yet another example of its lies and deceptions.”
US & 'Israel' war on Iran
At least six US service members have been killed since the conflict began on February 28, following joint US-‘Israeli’ strikes on Iran in an operation dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by the Trump administration. Iranian reports suggest the death toll in the war has reached approximately 1,332, including around 180 children killed in a strike on a school in the southeastern city of Minab.
