The US military has firmly rejected claims by Iran’s National Security Council head Ali Larijani that American soldiers have been captured since the outbreak of war on February 28. Larijani’s assertion, posted on social media platform X, alleged that the US is concealing the captures by reporting the soldiers as killed in action.
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins dismissed the statement as a clear example of Iranian deception. A spokesperson from US Central Command (CENTCOM) reinforced this stance, labeling the claims as further evidence of Iran’s pattern of falsehoods. Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM chief, has also publicly denied the allegations, maintaining the US position of transparency regarding troop status.
The conflict, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by the Trump administration, began with a joint US-Israel attack and has already claimed at least six American lives. The soldiers, identified as Declan Cody, Jeffrey O’Brien, Cody Khork, Noah Tietjens, Nicole Amor, and Robert Marzan, were killed on March 1 in an Iranian drone strike on a Kuwait port. President Donald Trump, speaking from Air Force One, paid tribute to the fallen during a transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Saturday.
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Casualties on the Iranian side are reported to be far higher, with the Tasnim news agency estimating 1,332 deaths, including 180 children killed in a strike on a school in Minab. While an analysis pointed to a US attack as the cause, Trump attributed the incident to Iran, deflecting responsibility during a press interaction en route from his South Florida resorts.
Trump has left open the possibility of deploying ground troops to Iran, declining to rule out such a move in a recent interview. He emphasized a pragmatic approach, diverging from predecessors who often avoided committing to boots on the ground. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has similarly cautioned that American casualties could climb as the conflict intensifies.
Public sentiment within Trump’s political base appears fractured, with some supporters voicing discontent over the latest military engagement. The death toll and ongoing uncertainty continue to fuel debate over the campaign’s direction. As of March 7, the reported US casualties remain at six, with no confirmed captures despite Iran’s claims.
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