Iran claims US soldiers captured while Washington says they were killed

Iran’s National Security Council chief Ali Larijani has claimed that several American soldiers have been captured, alleging that the United States is describing them as having been killed in action.

In a post on X, Larijani said he had received reports that a number of US troops were taken prisoner during the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. However, he did not provide details about where the alleged incident occurred or how many soldiers were involved.

“It has been reported to me that several American soldiers have been taken prisoner,” Larijani wrote in the social media post.

He further claimed that US authorities were presenting the situation differently, suggesting that Washington was describing the troops as having died in combat.

“But the Americans claim that they have been killed in action,” Larijani said.

Larijani also alleged that attempts to conceal the alleged capture would not succeed in the long run.

“Despite their futile efforts, the truth is not something they can hide for too long,” he wrote.

The remarks appeared to suggest a dispute over the status of US personnel involved in the conflict, though Larijani did not present evidence to support the claim.

There has been no independent confirmation of the alleged capture of American soldiers. As of now, US officials have not publicly acknowledged that any American troops have been taken prisoner.

The statement comes amid an escalating regional conflict following US and Israeli military strikes on Iranian targets and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on Israeli positions and US military facilities in the region.

The war, which began earlier this month, has already resulted in casualties among Iranian, Israeli and American forces, according to official statements from the countries involved.

Several governments and international organisations have warned that the rapidly expanding conflict could destabilise the wider Middle East.

Claims regarding battlefield events, including troop casualties or captures, have been difficult to independently verify due to the intensity of the fighting and limited official information from the parties involved.