WASHINGTON, March 8 (Alliance News): The Trump administration has rejected claims by Iran that several American soldiers have been captured during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Ali Larijani stated on the social media platform X that Iranian forces had taken multiple US soldiers prisoner and accused the United States of listing them as casualties to conceal the arrests.
The United States military immediately denied these claims, describing them as false and misleading propaganda. Tim Hawkins, speaking on behalf of the US Navy, said that the Iranian government was attempting to deceive the international community. A spokesman for the US Central Command also confirmed that the allegations of captured soldiers were baseless.
Tensions in the region have intensified since the US and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on February 28, named Operation Epic Fury by Washington. At least six US soldiers have reportedly been killed since the beginning of the war, including casualties from an Iranian drone strike on a port in Kuwait on March 1.
According to Iranian news agency Tasnim, approximately 1,332 people have died in the conflict so far, a large number of whom were civilians. Reports indicate that around 180 children were killed in an attack on a school in the southeastern city of Minab.
US President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the attacks and asserted that the United States currently holds the upper hand in the conflict, estimating that the war could last four to five weeks.
Despite official statements, some US political figures and media commentators have expressed concern over the potential for the conflict to become prolonged and costly. Recent polling indicates that a majority of Americans oppose the war, considering it unnecessary.
