Iranian official claims U.S. troops captured amid escalating conflict with U.S. and Israel

Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, claimed that several U.S. soldiers have been captured since the start of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States.

Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that Larijani made the statement in a post on the social media platform X, asserting that American troops had been taken prisoner during fighting that began about a week ago. Larijani said U.S. authorities had described the soldiers as killed in action and accused them of attempting to hide the truth, adding that details about the captured troops would eventually become public.

The war, involving the United States and Israel against Iran, has intensified in recent days, with both sides reporting casualties and damage to military positions, though the figures could not be independently verified.

The latest escalation began after coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel targeted Iranian military and strategic sites. This prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Iranian forces against regional military assets.

Officials in Tehran said dozens of Iranian soldiers and civilians have been killed in the strikes. U.S. and Israeli authorities reported that their forces have also suffered casualties during the expanding military confrontation.

Reports have warned that the growing conflict risks widening across the Middle East if diplomatic efforts fail. International powers have called for restraint to prevent further escalation between Iran, the United States and Israel.