A senior Iranian security official, Ali Larijani, has alleged that Iranian forces captured several American soldiers. However, the United States military has rejected the claim and described it as false.
Larijani made the claim on Saturday in a post on X. He accused Washington of attempting to conceal the alleged incident.
“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,” Larijani wrote.
He also insisted that the truth would eventually emerge. “Despite their futile efforts, the truth is not something they can hide for too long.”
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) quickly dismissed the allegation. A spokesperson for the command told Al Jazeera that no American soldiers had been captured.
“The Iranian regime’s claims of capturing American soldiers are yet another example of its lies and deceptions,” the spokesman said.
The exchange of claims and denials comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East. The situation worsened after joint air strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28. Reports indicate that the attacks killed more than 1,000 people. Those reported dead include Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, over 150 schoolgirls and several senior military officials.
The conflict has increased instability across the region. Tehran has also carried out retaliatory attacks on locations linked to the United States in several parts of the Middle East.
