The U.S. military pushed back after a top Iranian official made explosive claims about the ongoing war, alleging American troops had been captured.
Iranian political figure Ali Larijani posted the accusations on X, claiming U.S. soldiers had been taken prisoner during the conflict.
An X post from Larijani quickly spread online as he accused the U.S. of hiding the true number of American casualties.
But U.S. officials moved quickly to shut down the claims.
United States Central Command dismissed the allegations as propaganda.
“The Iranian regime’s claims of capturing American soldiers are yet another example of its lies and deceptions,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
Larijani also accused President Donald Trump of misleading the public about American deaths in the war.
The Iranian official claimed the real number of U.S. casualties was far higher than what Washington has reported.
Larijani suggested more than 500 American troops may have been killed in the fighting.
He offered no evidence to support the claim.
“It has been reported to me that several American soldiers have been taken prisoner,” Larijani wrote.
“But the Americans claim they have been killed in action.”
According to the U.S. government, six American servicemembers have died in the conflict so far.
Those troops were killed during an Iranian strike targeting a U.S. base in Kuwait.
The fallen soldiers were honored Saturday during a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
President Trump attended the solemn ceremony alongside several top officials, as the Daily Mail reported.
Trump saluted as flag-draped coffins carrying the service members were transported from a military aircraft.
Among those present were Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and First Lady Melania Trump.
The six soldiers killed in the attack were identified as Nicole Amor, Cody Khork, Robert Marzan, Jeffrey O’Brien, Noah Tietjens and Declan Coady.
Trump acknowledged the loss during remarks after the ceremony.
“It’s always a very sad thing,” the president said about the deaths of American troops.
Still, he insisted the United States is making major gains in the conflict.
“We’re winning the war by a lot,” Trump told reporters.
The president also suggested that additional casualties may occur as the conflict continues.
“I’m sure,” Trump said when asked whether he might have to attend more dignified transfer ceremonies.
“I hate to but it’s a part of war.”
Meanwhile, military operations across the Middle East have continued to intensify.
Iran has launched missile and rocket attacks targeting U.S. bases and allied positions across the Gulf region.
Trump has responded by warning Iran that further retaliation will bring even stronger military action.
In a Truth Social post, the president said Iran would be hit “very hard” if attacks continue.
The escalating war has already spread across multiple countries in the region as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to rise.
