Tensions between the United States and Iran have taken a new turn after a senior Iranian official claimed that several American soldiers are being held captive during the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a close aide to the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, made the claim late Saturday. He alleged that some US troops had been captured and are currently being held in Iranian prisons.
The statement quickly drew attention because the United States has repeatedly denied any such incident. American officials strongly rejected the claim and accused Iran of spreading misinformation during the conflict.
A spokesperson for US Central Command dismissed the allegation while speaking to Al Jazeera Arabic.
“The Iranian regime’s claims of capturing American soldiers are yet another example of its lies and deceptions.”
The exchange highlights the growing information battle between Washington and Tehran as the conflict intensifies across the region.
US-Iran War Latest Update: Ali Larijani Accuses Trump of Hiding True US Casualty Numbers
Larijani also accused former US President Donald Trump of misleading the public about the number of American soldiers killed in Iranian attacks.
Washington previously confirmed that six US soldiers died in a drone strike that targeted a US military command center in Kuwait earlier in the conflict. However, Larijani claimed that the real number of casualties is far higher.
According to him, the United States is hiding the actual figures and may gradually release higher numbers later.
“Then, soon enough, with the passage of time, they gradually increase the number of the dead, under various pretexts, such as incidental accidents or fabricated incidents,’ he said on X, a platform formerly known as Twitter.
In another post, he added: “Under the pretext of an accident, they will inflate the number of casualties.”
Larijani further repeated his claim about captured soldiers in a separate message.
“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,” Larijani tweeted.
US-Iran War Latest Update: Donald Trump Warns Iran of Stronger Military Strikes
While Iranian officials issued their claims, Donald Trump signaled that the United States could expand its military operations against Iran.
Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the US may strike additional targets inside Iran if the conflict continues.
“Today Iran will be hit very hard!” he posted on Truth Social.
In another post, Trump said Iran had apologized to neighboring countries amid the intense military pressure from the United States and Israel.
“Iran, which is being beaten to HELL, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore. This promise was only made because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attacks. They were looking to take over and rule the Middle East. It is the first time that Iran has ever lost, in thousands of years, to surrounding Middle Eastern Countries,” Trump wrote.
His remarks suggest that Washington may expand the scope of military action if tensions continue to escalate.
US-Iran War Latest Update: Iran Vows Not to Surrender as Regional Conflict Deepens
Despite the threats of stronger attacks, Iranian leaders say they will not back down from the confrontation.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would continue resisting external pressure and would not surrender to demands from the United States or its allies.
“The idea that we would surrender unconditionallythey must take such a dream to the grave,” he said in a speech.
Iran has continued launching missile strikes targeting Israel and several Gulf locations that host American military bases. The ongoing exchange of attacks has raised fears that the conflict could spread further across the Middle East.
As both sides exchange sharp accusations and threats, the situation remains highly volatile, with global leaders closely watching the rapidly developing crisis.
