Iran Claims US Soldiers Detained, Trump Denies

Iran’s national security chief, Ali Larijani, has claimed that several American soldiers have been detained since last week’s outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East. Speaking on the microblogging platform X on Saturday, Larijani alleged that the United States was attempting to cover up the situation, though he did not specify the number of personnel involved.

Larijani stated, “I have been informed that multiple American soldiers have been captured. Yet the Americans insist that these soldiers were killed in action. Despite their futile attempts, the truth cannot be concealed for long.”

The US military swiftly dismissed the claim. Responding to Larijani’s post, US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said, “The Iranian regime is doing everything possible to spread falsehoods and mislead. This is yet another clear example.” A spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM) echoed these remarks in a statement to Al Jazeera Arabic, calling Iran’s claims “another instance of deception and propaganda.”

The hostilities, which began on 28 February following a joint US-Israeli operation in Iran, have already claimed the lives of at least six US service members. The Trump administration has dubbed the operation “Operation Epic Fury.”

According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, approximately 1,332 people have been killed since the outbreak of the conflict, including nearly 180 children. Many of the child casualties occurred in a school in Minab, a south-eastern city reportedly targeted by the strikes. An analysis by The New York Times suggested that the attack on the school may have been conducted by US forces, though President Donald Trump has placed responsibility on Iran. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he told reporters, “Based on what I have seen, this was done by Iran.”

On 1 March, the day following the start of hostilities, all six US soldiers were killed in a drone strike at a port in Kuwait. Their identities are as follows:

The bodies of the fallen soldiers were returned to the United States with full honours. Trump, attending ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base and visiting a resort in South Florida, described the day as “extremely sad” but expressed satisfaction that the nation had been able to pay its respects.

Despite the tragic losses, Trump remains optimistic about the conflict, calling its progress “appropriate and satisfactory” and asserting that “we are winning this war by a wide margin and have destroyed their entire malign empire.” However, he has not ruled out further deployment of American troops in Iran, cautioning in interviews that casualty figures may rise.

The conflict has sparked division among Trump’s “Make America Great Again” supporters. Critics have noted that Trump had campaigned on a promise to avoid “endless wars,” and conservative figures such as former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene have accused the administration of betraying campaign pledges.

Recent polls by NPR, PBS, and Marist Institute indicate that 56% of adult Americans oppose the war. Al Jazeera correspondent Kimberly Halkett described it as “an unpopular conflict across every recent survey we have seen,” with many Americans doubting their country’s capacity to bear the human and financial costs.